Andy Burnham can make his immediate mark on ethics in public life

Keir Starmer famously promised a “government of service”, but within weeks of the general election the freebiegate scandal led many voters to feel that Labour were no better than their predecessors when it came to upholding standards in public life. Several high-profile scandals followed, culminating in the Mandelson saga which signalled the beginning of the end of Starmer’s premiership. But before the impact of the Mandelson scandal had become clear, Starmer commissioned the Ethics and Integrity Commission (EIC) to investigate the rules around lobbying and post-government jobs. The EIC has now published a report, calling for sweeping changes to these rules. The incoming prime minister will need to decide how he responds.

Starmer’s government tried to make progress on ethics

Starmer and his team used the ethical failings of his Conservative predecessors to distinguish themselves in opposition. And it is clear that many in Labour were genuinely committed to improving standards in public life, even though it sometimes appeared that simply being a different political party formed the basis of their plan to reverse the decline in public trust. Following the 2024 general election, the new government made some important steps: a strengthened ministerial code, an empowered independent adviser on ministerial standards and, of course, the creation of the EIC. This was an idea first suggested by former deputy leader Angela Rayner, though it came into being after she had to resign from government over her tax affairs.

Then came the Mandelson saga, which called into question the prime minister’s (and his advisers’) judgement. Like many of his predecessors, Starmer was ultimately damaged in the eyes of the public and his MPs not by a major policy choice, but because of who he chose to trust and appoint.

The EIC report has good ideas for Burnham to take on

At the height of the Mandelson saga Starmer commissioned the EIC to look into how ministers declare their financial interests and whether the rules around lobbying and post-government jobs are working. In its first major report, the EIC has set out 37 recommendations calling for government to update various rule sets, change how government declares information and investigate the possibility of further sanctions when people break the rules.

The report will not please everyone – some will think this goes too far, other that it does not go far enough. Many of the big recommendations have previously been called for by the IfG, including for lobbyists to have to declare more than their meetings with ministers and permanent secretaries, and for government to improve both the quality and accessibility of their transparency returns. One of the most eye-catching recommendations is for all lobbying activity to be declared, rather than just the work of consultant lobbyists. This would require primary legislation which, as the EIC points out, is not a straightforward choice given the challenges of securing parliamentary time. But as the EIC argues, if the government takes forward their recommendations, this “will make it easier to see which groups and individuals are lobbying the government and the matters on which they are seeking to exert influence.”

Burnham has an opportunity to show he is serious about a new approach to government

Burnham has said he wants to do government differently and build a politics that is more consensual and more responsive to what people want. While creating a new public register of lobbying activity is not as eye-catching as creating a No10 in the North, taking on the EIC’s recommendations would be a chance for Burnham to show that he is serious about a new approach to government. And the start of his premiership is the best chance to show that he is different to his predecessor, and make changes that will be harder to deliver once he gets bogged down in the day-to-day complexity of governing.

Starmer and his team came into power with good intentions to do things differently, but they quickly missed the opportunity to show that their approach to upholding standards would be different from the Conservative ministers who fell foul of the rules. The warning to Burnham is clear: act firmly, and act fast, to show the public that he really wants to approach ethics and standards in public life in a different way to his predecessor.