Government to close ‘Tory loophole’ around declaring interests and gifts

Pat McFadden told the BBC that Labour would change the ministerial code so that ministers and shadow ministers were under the same declaration rules. Photograph: Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images

Downing Street will change rules on declaring interests and hospitality so ministers have to abide by the same rules as backbench MPs, a senior minister has said.

Pat McFadden, the chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, said the move would be done to close “a Tory loophole” that gave less scrutiny and transparency to ministers’ interests than to those of other MPs.