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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Rowena Mason Whitehall editor

Bring in new lobbying rules for ex-ministers by autumn, says watchdog

An aerial view shows Thames Water's Mogden sewage treatment works in Isleworth, west London, 2 July 2023
Thames Water’s Mogden sewage treatment works in Isleworth, west London. Two-thirds of England’s biggest water companies employed former Ofwat figures as key executives, the Observer found. Photograph: Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images

No 10 should bring in new fines for ex-ministers who break the rules on lobbying in time for Rishi Sunak’s next reshuffle and tighten restrictions on former civil servants, the government watchdog has said.

Eric Pickles, the head of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba), said it should be possible to draw up new rules in time for the autumn – a time when prime ministers typically shake up their top teams.

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