STORY
Former Prime Minister Sir John Major delivered a powerful and unsparing assessment of the current state of British public life on Thursday, accusing successive governments of allowing ethical standards to decline and warning that public trust in institutions is in danger of slipping beyond repair. Speaking at the Institute for Government’s conference marking 30 years since the establishment of the Committee on Standards in Public Life and the Nolan Principles, Major said Britain’s long-standing reputation for clean governance had been “slowly eroded” by years of scandal, political misconduct and a failure to enforce proper standards.
“It is in our national interest to regain that reputation,” he said, before listing a series of high-profile failures: from the ‘Partygate’ scandal and political lobbying controversies to a wider culture of bullying and misconduct.
Sir John, who founded the Nolan Committee in 1994 following the “cash for questions” scandal, argued that the seven principles of public life — selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership — remain essential but are too often ignored. “The vast majority of public servants obey them. But a minority does not — and when that happens, there must be consequences,” he said. “Too often, there are none.”
In a series of pointed criticisms, the former Conservative leader highlighted the resignation of two senior ethics advisers under Boris Johnson and the growing cynicism towards public institutions, which he said now includes Parliament, the Church, the Police, and even the media. “This is not healthy,” he warned.
Major reserved some of his strongest words for the government’s approach to advisory bodies and ethics watchdogs. He criticised ministers for “ignoring” or “watering down” reports from standards bodies and accused them of using “words of which any Circumlocution Department would be proud” to deflect criticism while rejecting reform.
While he praised the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Interests as a valuable check, he questioned whether the role should be made statutory — and ultimately advised against it, despite past attempts by prime ministers to abolish the position. “Their successors are likely to understand that an adviser with powers can spare stress to prime ministers,” he quipped. Turning to appointments, Major said bodies like ACOBA — which oversees post-government jobs for ministers and civil servants — need statutory powers to enforce their guidance. “Lord Pickles is right,” he said, referencing the former ACOBA chair’s warning that the current system has “no demonstrable or tangible deterrent.”
He also called for tougher scrutiny of House of Lords appointments, criticising the lack of oversight for political nominees and arguing that too many recent peerages had failed the “democratic smell test.” He said it was time to stop appointing peers who were “unsuitable for the work, or unwilling to do it.”
On political funding, Major raised concern about growing dependence on ultra-wealthy individuals and the risk of foreign interference, citing recent reports of an American billionaire’s interest in funding a UK party. “One man, one vote must not be supplanted by one man and his money,” he said, warning that democracy must not be for sale “to the highest bidder.” He also referred to Trump’s “billionaire chorus.”
He also criticised the leaking of policy announcements to the press before they reach Parliament, branding it “disrespectful” and corrosive to the authority of the legislature. While acknowledging the government’s pledge to establish a new ethics commission, Major advised they stick to strengthening the Nolan system instead. “My very friendly advice to the Prime Minister would be to stiffen up Nolan — and leave the ethics proposal where it is!”
In closing, Major struck a sombre but resolute tone: “We need to demonstrate to the people of our own country – and far beyond – that the Nolan principles… are effective and, where not, put measures in place to enforce them. Once we do that, we begin to restore trust and – with it – faith in politics.”