Displaying items by tag: accountability

Keir Starmer is updating the ministerial code to address growing concerns over ministers accepting hospitality and gifts. While an outright ban was considered, the revised code instead emphasises public perception and accountability, allowing ministers to accept gifts if they can justify them in alignment with public expectations. New procedures include a hospitality register  that requires full disclosure of gift values, submitted every month instead of quarterly. This brings their reporting requirements closer to MPs, who must update interests within 28 days. The changes respond to recent controversies surrounding Starmer and other ministers who accepted high-value gifts, including Taylor Swift concert tickets and designer clothing. Although he has faced criticism for delayed declarations, he asserts that all rules were followed. The update aligns with Labour’s commitment to high standards in government, though some feel stricter measures are needed. The establishment of a dedicated Ethics and Integrity Commission remains pending as part of Labour’s broader ethics reform efforts.

Nurse Lucy Letby killed seven babies by force-feeding them with milk or injecting them with air or insulin, and seriously damaged six others who she tried to murder. Dr Stephen Brearey, the lead consultant on the unit where Letby worked, first raised the alarm in October 2015. The first five murders happened between June and October 2015, and - despite months of warnings - the final two were in June 2016. Dr Brearey said senior managerial hospital staff were worried about reputational damage to the organisation. Instead of acting on his warnings, he and his colleagues’ lives were made very difficult. There is ‘no apparent accountability’ for what NHS managers do in trusts. There will now be an inquiry into the magnitude of the event and the questions raised: should NHS managers be regulated in the same way as doctors, and should they be held to account?

The Government website states, ‘The Nolan principles are the basis of the ethical standards expected of public office holders’. Let’s pray for our leaders to conform to these seven principles as they walk the Brexit tightrope. 1) Selflessness: acting solely in terms of the public interest, not in order to gain financial or other benefits for themselves, family or friends.2) Integrity: must not place themselves under any obligation to outside individuals or organisations seeking to influence them in their official duties. 3) Objectivity: in public business, appointments, awarding contracts, and recommendations should be made on merit. 4) Accountability: be accountable for their decisions and actions to the public and submit to scrutiny appropriate to their office. 5) Openness: be as open as possible about all decisions and actions they take, giving reasons for their decisions, and restrict information only when the wider public interest demands. 6) Honesty: must declare any private interests relating to their duties and resolve any conflicts arising in a way that protects the public interest. 7) Leadership: must promote and support these principles by leadership and example. See

Care of the vulnerable is a measure of a civilised society. Care home placements for adults with complex needs are assessed and funded according to the nature and severity of mental/physical disability. T is unable to speak, has severe autism and epilepsy, and has been assessed as lacking the mental capacity to make decisions. He needs specialist care. He was stabbed 20+ times by another resident in his previous accommodation and had been moved to Hillgreen. JL, by contrast, is a predatory sex abuser, has mild learning disabilities, no mental disorder and a long history of sexual offending. He was transferred to Hillgreen while awaiting trial, charged with raping an autistic woman in his previous home. The two should never have been living under the same roof. Everyone at Hillgreen was aware of the risk JL posed. Outside the care home he was permanently under supervision. Inside, despite many warnings, he was subject to no such restrictions. JL raped T.