The Committee on Standards in Public Life at 30: what next?

After the ‘cash for questions’ affair in the mid-1990s, then prime minister John Major set up the Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL) to “examine current concerns about standards of conduct of all holders of public office… and make recommendations as to any changes in present arrangements which might be required to ensure the highest standards of propriety in public life”. ⁸ https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/the-committee-on-standards-in-public-life/about/terms-of-reference  Since its creation in October 1994, the CSPL has played an important role in strengthening and upholding the standards expected of those in public life, particularly after scandal and crisis. But as it reflects on its first three decades, where should the CSPL be focusing in the future?

The CSPL has been involved in some of the biggest political moments

The CSPL has a strong record of responding to scandals by making recommendations to strengthen the ethical regime – much of the current standards eco-system was created in this way.

After the ‘cash for questions’ affair, the committee made proposals to strengthen the rules around MPs’ behaviour, including a draft code of conduct and the tools to enforce it. After Bernie Ecclestone donated £1 million to the Labour Party and lobbied Tony Blair’s government on behalf of Formula One, the CSPL recommended the creation of the Electoral Commission to regulate political donations. And in response to the expenses scandal, Gordon Brown accepted all of the committee’s recommendations to IPSA about what MPs should and shouldn’t be able to claim.

More recently, at a speech at the Institute in 2021, then committee chair Lord Evans criticised Conservative MPs for voting to reject the findings of an independent investigation into Owen Paterson’s “egregious” breaches of lobbying rules. The government later U-turned and Paterson resigned as an MP. 

There was clearly never a “golden age” of standards, as Lord Evans himself has recognised. ¹⁰ https://www.civilserviceworld.com/in-depth/article/outgoing-standards-watchdog-lord-evans-interview  But in recent years scandals and inquiries have brought into focus the need for the CSPL to ensure those in public life act ethically – whether they are politicians and civil servants in SW1 or medical professionals and police officers on the frontline. 

What might the next 30 years hold for the CSPL? 

Over the coming decades, the committee will need to focus on these same issues, while also remaining live to new developments. As the current chair, Doug Chalmers CB DSO OBE, has said, the world is changing fast and the committee needs to be able to be flexible and adapt to new priorities and emerging technologies that play a role in public life. ¹² https://committees.parliament.uk/oralevidence/13925/pdf/  Chalmers mentioned the role of machine learning and AI in his pre-appointment hearing in parliament – how those technologies affect the way that public authorities and organisations interact with the public will clearly be important for the committee to consider. 

As well as the changing technological landscape, the committee will need to show that it continues to be relevant in an ever-changing political landscape. The Labour government is planning to establish an Ethics and Integrity Commission (though nothing has been made public about this work) – assuming it is set up, the committee will need to think through how to interact with the new body and ensure that they are complementary, rather than competing, institutions. Maintaining the support of the incoming leader of the Conservative party will also be key for the long-term health of the committee. 

In a busy world, the biggest challenge for the CSPL may simply be ensuring that there is enough attention on the question of standards in public life. Abiding by the standards of public life is essential if a government is going to be granted the benefit of the doubt by a sceptical public (as Labour found out over the summer) – the committee can help remind politicians and other public leaders of this by keeping the principles front and centre in public debate. 

In recent years, the CPSL has had to react to many events in government. Hopefully, with a calmer political environment to operate in, the committee can now get on the front foot and start driving progress in under-discussed but important areas, such as local government and private providers of public services. The prime minister promised “a politics of service” when he entered Downing Street in July. The committee is well-placed to support that ambition and should not miss this opportunity. 

We will be marking the 30th anniversary of the CSPL at an event on 21 November – register to attend.