Received from: FDA
Congress welcomes the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Committee on Standards in Public Life. The work of that committee, and creation of the Seven Principles of Public Life, or Nolan principles as they’re known – honesty, integrity, objectivity, accountability, selflessness, openness and leadership – have helped shape the standards landscape over that period.
Congress recognises that the final principle, leadership, is vital in government and the Prime Minister sits at the apex of the standards regime. Congress further recognises that where this fails, as it did with a series of previous prime ministers, relying on the “good chap” principle to enforce standards can have disastrous consequences for public servants, as well as for public confidence in government.
Congress calls on the prime minister to demonstrate that final Nolan principle of leadership, not limited to how he himself acts as prime minister, but in establishing a robust ethics regime across government and public service.
Congress therefore calls upon government to:
i. set a firm timetable for establishing their promised Ethics and Integrity Commission to deliver consistent and coherent standards across public service
ii. consult widely, including with trade unions, to determine the scope and powers of the Ethics and Integrity Commission
iii. establish a principle of regulatory rather than voluntary standards across government and public service,
iv. ensure all regulatory bodies on standards are fully independent with powers of enforcement.
FDA