Boris Johnson might not appoint a new ethics adviser, after the previous two both quit on his watch, No.10 has said.
Lord Geidt dramatically resigned from the post on Wednesday evening, accusing the prime minister of proposing a “deliberate” breach of the ministerial code.
Sir Alex Allan resigned in 2020 after the PM refused to accept his finding that Home Secretary Priti Patel had bullied civil servants.
The ministerial code is the set of rules and principles which govern the standards of conduct of ministers, including the PM.
Asked if Geidt would be replaced as ministerial interests adviser, the prime minister’s spokesperson said: “We haven’t made a final decision on how best to carry out that function, whether it relates to a specific individual or not.
The spokesperson said Johnson would “carefully consider that before setting out the next steps”.
In his letter of resignation, Geidt said the prime minister was at risk of making a “mockery” of government ethics and standards rules.
Johnson had asked Geidt for his advice on whether a policy decision in “the national interest in protecting a crucial industry” would be in line with the code.
Geidt’s resignation comes just weeks after he said it was “reasonable” to believe Johnson had broken the ministerial code over partygate.
He said he had decided “by a very small margin” to stay in post after the revelations about lockdown breaches in No.10, but being asked for advice on a deliberate breach of the code was the final straw.