Ministers must comply with the Code of Conduct and Guidance on Procedures for Ministers produced by the Cabinet Office and endorsed by the Prime Minister.
The Ministerial Code requires Ministers to uphold the seven principles of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.
According to the Ministerial code, Ministers must be ‘accurate and truthful’ in their dealings with Parliament and comply with the principle of collective responsibility. Failure to do either would be expected to result in resignation. Its provision covers conflicts of interest, both financial and personal, and that relating to constituency matters.
The Code also extends to former Ministers with regard to their employment in the two years following leaving office and to the contents of memoirs. In light of the 2021 Grensill Capital affair involving the former Prime Minister, David Cameron, there have been calls for this limit to now be extended to five years.
