OUR GLOBAL MOVEMENT
The seven Nolan Principles provide the foundation for the House of Commons’ code of conduct.1 These principles are an integral part of building positive social norms and practices in our democratic system. However, parliamentarians may have different interpretations of what these principles look like in practice, which can lead to confusion and behaviour that undermines public trust. These principles should translate into clear and concise rules in order to ensure the integrity of our parliamentarians and to stop MPs inadvertently breaking them. Moreover, frequent reflection and revision of these rules is essential to maintaining their effectiveness. We propose four key recommendations to update the current Code of Conduct.
This report focusses on specific corruption risks in major planning decisions, an area where there is often a large amount of money at stake. It is also very contentious, with many new developments resulting in a net loss of social and genuinely affordable housing, which in many areas are in short supply.
To understand what could undermine openness in the planning process and what local authorities are doing to stop this, we have collected evidence from across England. Although there are some examples of good practice, generally the results make for a worrying read.
Unminuted, closed-door meetings with developers and excessive hospitality undoubtedly undermine confidence in the planning process, yet too many local authorities have weak rules to stop this from happening. Even fewer councils have control measures for major conflicts of interest, with far too many decision-makers also working for developers on the side. Moreover, when councillors behave badly, there are no clear or meaningful sanctions available to councils that could act as an effective deterrent against serious misconduct by them or others in the future.
To address these issues we propose ten practical solutions, none of which are beyond the means of those who need to implement them. All reinforce existing guidance and good practice recommended by anti-fraud and corruption initiatives here and internationally. Some even reflect existing practice in particular parts of the UK, such as Scotland.
Open Business sets a new bar for disclosures in anti-corruption and governance and provides an aspirational but achievable roadmap to better corporate practice.
By demonstrating the value of harnessing transparency in these areas, this report shows how companies can embrace transparency to reduce corruption risk while also building consumer and public trust, protecting and building their reputation and gaining a competitive advantage.
Informed by extensive research including in-depth interviews with legal and compliance figures from FTSE 100 companies, insight from some of the world’s biggest institutional investors, and Transparency International’s own anti-corruption expertise, this groundbreaking research:
