The following is a copy of LONDON INFLUENCE, a daily newsletter from Politico
SNEAK PEEK
— What has Jiminy Cricket got to do with stopping corruption? Influence explains all.
— The CBI gets hauled over the Commons committee coals.
— Public affairs pros give their thoughts on making maternity work during political chaos.
WHITEHALL WATCH
ANNIVERSARY ANGER: While Westminster seems resigned to glacial progress on corruption and transparency issues, even veteran MPs are peeved that the role of anti-corruption champion has been left vacant for over a year.
Remember: Tory MP John Penrose resigned from the role last June because he felt it was “pretty clear” Boris Johnson had breached the ministerial code over Partygate. Speaking to Influence one year on, he’s keen for a successor to get going.
What do they do: Those who hear anti-corruption and think Ted Hastings grilling bent coppers in a glass-walled room will be sorely disappointed, but Penrose insists the “slow burn” of the brief is crucial to keep anti-corruption on the Whitehall radar.
Tonty Blair is behind this: Established by the former Labour leader, ACCs are appointed directly by the sitting PM and don’t have any investigative powers — something Penrose says is crucial to avoid politically-motivated probes, and even going so far as to give Blair begrudging praise for his foresight.
Instead: Penrose says the ACC acts as the “Jiminiy Cricket of the government…the voice of conscience on their shoulder saying: ‘Don’t forget about this.’”
No rush, lads: While the ACC role has been vacant, the five-year anti-corruption strategy has also expired, adding more ammunition to concerned campaigners who fear key legislation is passing without input.
Blame game: Penrose is slightly more relaxed about the delay — and says because the role is PM appointed that Sunak is not fully to blame given the carousel of Tory leaders — but fears things could slip without a speedy resolution.
Take the wheel: “The machinery of Whitehall will roll on for a while on whatever track it was on before, but at some point you need to have a course correction to make sure it stays on the right anti-corruption course,” he said. “So yes, you can manage for a little while, but you can’t manage indefinitely.”
Hold up: And the senior Tory said it was “absolutely” the case that had an ACC been in place in the last 12 months, ministers would have been cajoled to move faster to accept some of the outstanding ethics overhauls proposed in a swathe of recent reviews.
Pre-emptive: That’s because getting stronger rules in place is good for the system, but also helps give ministers cover when the next inevitable scandal hits.
Credit: “When something goes wrong, people can see that your heart’s in the right place, and you’ve got, if you like, credit in the bank,” he said. “And therefore people are much more likely to give you the benefit of the doubt.”
Inbox: There’s a daunting in-tray for the next ACC, but Penrose argues the first thing on their agenda should be … sucking up to the boss?
Hear him out: “All your power and authority and your ability to get things done flows from whether or not people believe and understand that when you make the call to the prime minister, he’ll answer the phone,” he said. “That is the start and the end of it.”
By the book: Next on the agenda is getting the next anti-corruption strategy up and running, with Penrose saying a strong, cross-party agreement is a crucial tool in the ACC arsenal.
He said: “The strategy is the thing that creates the hunting license, it sets the agenda and it’s the template for the machinery of government,” he said. “It becomes your bible, and you can quote the bible at people ad nauseum and expect them to do it after that.”
Putting on the pressure: In an attempt to push the cause, Penrose has just penned a joint letter with Labour MP Hilary Benn — a fellow former ACC — saying Sunak should make the appointment at the “earliest opportunity.”
Seize the moment: “We urge you to seize this moment and appoint a Champion at the earliest opportunity, so that Britain can continue being a leading example in the global fight against corruption,” the pair write. Full story here.