Boris Johnson’s 2019 commitment to ‘high standards’ in office is worth reading again

The words were written by none other than the prime minister, as he committed himself to ‘the very highest standards of propriety’ in his foreword to the ministerial code of conduct, writes Andrew Grice

‘There must be no bullying and no harassment; no leaking; no breach of collective responsibility,’ according to the PM (PA)

“To win back the trust of the British people, we must uphold the very highest standards of propriety,” the prime minister said. “There must be no bullying and no harassment; no leaking; no breach of collective responsibility. No misuse of taxpayer money and no actual or perceived conflicts of interest.”

Which prime minister? Theresa May, a stickler for such rules? John Major, who brought in the seven principles of public life –integrity, objectivity, accountability, transparency, honesty and leadership? No, the words were written by Boris Johnson, as he committed himself to those principles in his foreword to the ministerial code of conduct on taking office in 2019.

It’s now clear his government has failed all those tests and to “win back” public trust. The proportion of people who regard Johnson as “untrustworthy” has risen from 45 per cent to 69 per cent since he wrote those words. Among Tory supporters, the figure has increased from 32 per cent to 49 per cent; remarkably, only one in three trust him now.