November 4, 2021 - Responding to the government’s decision to abandon plans for a new standards committee, Alex Runswick, Senior Advocacy Manager at Transparency International UK, said:

“Yesterday's vote was a stark reminder of how fragile the system to ensure integrity by our politicians really is. Whilst it is very welcome that the government has heard the strength of the public outcry and decided to proceed only on a cross-party basis, it is essential that independent oversight of standards is not just reinstated but strengthened. Just this week, Parliament’s ethics watchdog called for key elements of our standards system to be given greater independence and enshrined in law. As the government assesses the fallout from this hugely damaging vote and looks to rebuild trust, implementing these recommendations in full would be a very good place to start.”