Lib Dems report Sunak to the Ethics Adviser over improper use of government resources at speech

EMBARGO: Immediate Release

The Liberal Democrats have reported the Prime Minister to the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests for using the government crest at his party political speech yesterday (Monday).

In his speech at Policy Exchange, the Prime Minister gave an overtly party political speech in which he framed from the start as being about the choice voters will face come the next General Election. The speech was deemed so party political that on the government’s own website much of the speech was redacted. 

Despite this, the Prime Minister spoke from a lectern bearing the Royal Coat of Arms which the Liberal Democrats have said is a clear breach of the Ministerial Code as it states that: “Ministers must not use government resources for party political purposes”.

The Liberal Democrats have asked the Ethics Adviser to investigate this apparent breach of the Code, saying that “Rishi Sunak must be taking the public for fools if he thinks that the speech he gave was anything other than a politically charged rant.”

Liberal Democrat Cabinet Office spokesperson, Christine Jardine MP said:

“The Prime Minister’s party political speech earlier today appears to be a clear breach of the Ministerial code. Taxpayers should not have to fund the lectern he gives this from. 

“Rishi Sunak must be taking the public for fools if he thinks that the speech he gave was anything other than a politically charged rant. The pathetic excuses he made for his own party’s failures will fall on deaf ears. 

“The country has stopped listening to the Prime Minister and the Conservative party. They want a General Election and to finally see the back of this awful government that has trashed our NHS, let water companies off the hook, and has forced far too many to choose between heating and eating.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

First reported in The Mirror.

The letter to the Ethics Adviser from Christine Jardine MP:

To: Sir Laurie Magnus CBE, Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests

Dear Sir Laurie,

I am writing to ask that you investigate Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, for a potential breach of the Ministerial Code in his speech at Policy Exchange today (13th May 2024).

The Prime Minister gave a party political speech at Policy Exchange, which he framed from the start as being about the choice that voters will face at the forthcoming general election. Indeed, the speech was so overtly party political that much of it has had to be redacted for the official transcript on gov.uk.

However, despite it being a party political speech, the Prime Minister spoke from behind a government lectern bearing the Royal Coat of Arms.

This appears to be a clear breach by the Prime Minister of the Ministerial Code, which states that:

“Ministers must not use government resources for party political purposes”

I therefore ask you urgently to investigate the Prime Minister’s use of a government lectern for this party political speech. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Christine Jardine 

MP for Edinburgh West