Jobs after government: rules for ex-ministers and civil servants

How are post-government jobs for ministers and officials regulated?

The rules for ministers’ and civil servants’ post-government jobs are set by the government of the day. As of October 2025, responsibility for regulation of rules on post-government jobs lies with the independent adviser on ministerial standards Sir Laurie Magnus, and the Civil Service Commission (CSC). ³¹ Pat McFadden, ‘Government of service: statement made on 21 July 2025’, retrieved 23 July 2025, https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-07-21/hcws870.  They provide independent advice on the application of the Business Appointment Rules (BARs).  

The ACOBA (Advisory Committee on Business Appointments) previously carried out this function but the current Labour government’s ethics reforms abolished the committee and split its responsibilities between the independent adviser and the CSC. The independent adviser now oversees jobs taken up by former ministers while the CSC regulates the employment of former government officials.  

Regulation of post-government jobs held by crown servants who sit outside the scope of the CSC is overseen by the relevant organisation - for example, the Ministry of Defence will oversee post-government jobs for military personnel.  

What was ACOBA and why was it abolished?

ACOBA was an advisory body made up of members from the public and private sectors which advised ministers and senior officials on whether jobs they took on after leaving government complied with the BARs until it was abolished on 15 October 2025. ³² Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, ‘Closure of the independent Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA)’, 23 July 2025, retrieved 24 July 2025, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/closure-of-the-independent-advisory-committee-on-business-appointments-acoba#:~:text=23%20July%202025-,The%20gover….  

ACOBA had limited investigatory powers and the advice it provided had no basis in law. ³³ Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, Written evidence from ACoBA (ACB 08), Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, October 2016, https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/561609/ACOBA_written_evidence_PACAC.pdf  Apart from noting non-compliance, ACOBA had no means to independently enforce the rules – it could only set out the facts to Cabinet Office ministers, who would then determine what action to take. ³⁴ Cabinet Office, Strengthening Ethics and Integrity in Central Government, CP 900, July 2023, https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1172005/CP_900_-_Strengthening_Ethics_and_Integrity_i…, p. 10  Lord Pickles, the former chair of ACOBA, described the organisation as “toothless” due to its lack of enforcement power. ³⁵ Mason R, Bring in new lobbying rules for ex-ministers by autumn, says watchdog, The Guardian, 27 July 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/jul/27/ex-ministers-who-break-uk-lobbying-rules-should-be-fined-says-watchdog

While there have been structural changes following ACOBA’s closure, the Labour government has not changed the business appointment rules that set out post-government employment, though it has asked the CSC to review the rules on post-government jobs for former officials. The Sunak government had previously committed to making clear in civil service contracts the rules around post-government jobs – officials entering government on these new contracts would have to consult the rules and their contract to understand what they could and could not do after leaving government. The Starmer government has not said whether they have updated civil service contracts in this way, but has suggested that the CSC’s end-to-end oversight would help potential civil servants be clearer on the restrictions that would apply after they leave government. ³⁶ Pat McFadden, ‘Government of service: statement made on 21 July 2025’, retrieved 23 July 2025, https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-07-21/hcws870.

What are the current rules for ministers taking on new jobs after they leave government?

The ministerial code states that once they leave office, ministers are not allowed to lobby government for two years. They must also abide by the wider Business Appointment Rules and seek advice from the prime minister’s independent adviser about any employment they wish to take up within two years of leaving office. ³⁷ Cabinet Office, ‘Business appointment rules for ministers’, GOV.UK, 21 December 2016, retrieved 23 July 2025, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/business-appointment-rules-for-ministers

The same Business Appointment Rules apply to former Scottish and Welsh government ministers, but former Scottish ministers need to seek advice from the Scottish First Minister’s independent advisers rather than the prime minister’s adviser.  

Each minister’s case is considered individually to ensure that it does not raise suspicion that the minister has been offered the job because of their decisions during their time in government, or that their new employer could make improper use of information that a minister has from their time in government. ³⁸ Cabinet Office, ‘Business Appointment Rules for ministers’, GOV.UK, 13 October 2025, retrieved 7 January 2026, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/business-appointment-rules-for-ministers/business-appointment-rules-for-ministers

If the independent adviser judges that there may be public concern about a minister taking up a role, they may recommend that the minister delay taking up the role or does not take part in certain activities such as commercial dealings with their former department(s). These conditions can last up to two years from the time the minister leaves government.

In exceptional circumstances, the adviser may recommend that a minister does not take up a particular role.

In July 2025, the government announced further amendments to Keir Starmer’s ministerial code so that ministers who leave office after serving for less than six months, and those who have “committed a serious breach” of the code, are expected to waive the severance payment (equivalent to three months’ salary) that they are entitled to receive. ³⁹ Pat McFadden, ‘Government of service: statement made on 21 July 2025’, retrieved 23 July 2025, https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-07-21/hcws870.  However, without new legislation, there is no way to require repayment from former ministers.  

What are the current rules for civil servants taking on new jobs after they leave government?

There are similar rules in place for civil servants working in the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments, although they differ based on the grade of the individual leaving government. These are set out in the Business Appointment Rules for crown servants. ⁴⁰ Cabinet Office, ‘Business appointment rules for crown servants, GOV.UK, 21 December 2016, retrieved 23 July 2025, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/business-appointment-rules-for-crown-servants

Permanent secretaries and directors general, the two most senior ranks of the civil service, must also seek advice from the CSC before taking up external employment. Applications submitted to the CSC are considered by a panel drawn from the team of independent commissioners.  

Permanent secretaries are also expected to wait three months between leaving the civil service and taking up outside employment, because of their access to a wide range of sensitive information. Permanent secretaries and directors general are also banned from lobbying the government for the first two years after they leave the civil service. Similar restrictions apply to special advisers.

Civil servants below director-general level only need to apply to the CSC for advice if their circumstance meets certain conditions, including if their new role will draw on commercially sensitive information from their civil service role or if they have made regulatory decisions affecting their new employer. Otherwise, their case is dealt with by their departmental HR team.