Ethics and Integrity Commission

What is the Ethics and Integrity Commission?

The Ethics and Integrity Commission (EIC) is an independent oversight body sponsored by the Cabinet Office that will oversee ethics in public life. It began operating on 13 October 2025, replacing the Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL), which was established by Sir John Major in 1994. ¹⁶ Nick Thomas-Symonds, ‘Government of service’, 13 October 2025, retrieved 13 October 2025, https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-10-13/hcws939

Like the CSPL, the EIC is made up of independent and political members. Independent members are appointed by the prime minister following open competition while political members are appointed following recommendation from the leaders of the three largest parties in the House of Commons. Doug Chalmers – the final chair of the CSPL – is the first chair of the EIC. 
 

What are the EIC’s responsibilities?

The EIC continues to carry out the functions of the CSPL including the promotion and overseeing of Lord Nolan’s principles of public life, advising the prime minister on ethical standards across public life and conducting research into the functioning of the standards system. 

Like the CSPL, the EIC does not investigate specific cases. The EIC has taken on new responsibilities, including: 

• A formal leadership role to convene ethics and standards bodies in central government and in parliament;
• Delivering an annual report to the prime minister on the overall health of the standards system;
• Engaging with public sector bodies to help them develop “clear codes of conduct with effective oversight arrangements”. ¹⁷ Pat McFadden, ‘Government of service’, 21 July 2025, retrieved 29 August 2025, https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-07-21/hcws870.  

The government has also committed to responding to all EIC reports “in a reasonable timeframe”; ¹⁸ Pat McFadden, ‘Government of service’, 21 July 2025, retrieved 29 August 2025, https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-07-21/hcws870  governments have responded to CSPL reports in the past, though in some cases this has taken several years. 

Where did the EIC come from?

The Labour Party’s then deputy leader, Angela Rayner, announced an independent EIC at the Institute for Government in July 2023 and it subsequently appeared in Labour’s manifesto for the 2024 general election. ²² Labour Party, ‘Change: Labour Party Manifesto 2024’, retrieved 29 August 2025, https://labour.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Labour-Party-manifesto-2024.pdf  Initially envisaged as bringing together the different ethics regulators, the decision was ultimately taken to build on the foundation laid by the CSPL for the new commission. ²³ Doug Chalmers, 'Statement by CSPL Chair, Doug Chalmers CB DSO OBE', GOV.UK, 21 July 2025, retrieved 01 September 2025, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/statement-by-cspl-chair-doug-chalmers-cb-dso-obe.

What other changes have the government made?

Alongside announcing the establishment of the EIC, the government has:

• Overhauled who will manage jobs after government for ex-ministers and civil servants – cases previously handled by the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA) has been split between the independent adviser on ministerial standards and the Civil Service Commission, while cases relating to crown servants will be handled by their respective organisation (so cases relating to the military that had been handled by ACOBA will be handled by the Ministry of Defence)
• Introduced new rules around ministerial severance pay, where ministers who leave office after less than six months in post or following a “serious breach of the ministerial code” will be “expected to forgo” the severance payment (equivalent to three months’ salary). ²⁴ Pat McFadden, ‘Government of service’, 21 July 2025, retrieved 29 August 2025, https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-07-21/hcws870