Since becoming prime minister, Boris Johnson has faced repeated accusations of seeking to undermine people and organisations that independently scrutinise the government, or trying to trim their powers. Here are some examples: Kathryn Stone – parliamentary commissioner for standards Johnson is charged with trying to push out or sideline Stone, the independent officer tasked with investigating claims that MPs have breached rules, over her inquiry into the now resigned Tory MP Owen Paterson. After Stone recommended Paterson be suspended from the Commons for 30 days for breaking paid lobbying rules, a decision subsequently supported by the cross-party standards committee, Johnson backed a move to suspend this, and introduce a standards committee with a built-in Tory majority. While Johnson was forced into a swift U-turn following an outcry, opposition parties said the PM was trying to hobble Stone, who has previously found him in breach of rules, and is likely to investigate who paid for the controversial refurbishment of his Downing Street flat. Alex Allan – independent adviser on ministers’ interests The high-ranking civil servant quit abruptly in November 2020 after Johnson overruled him by refusing to sack Priti Patel despite a formal investigation finding evidence that the home secretary had bullied civil servants. Johnson argued that because the report said Patel’s breaches of the ministerial code might have been unintentional, this exonerated her. Allan clearly disagreed. Earlier that year, the most senior civil servant in Patel’s department, Philip Rutnam, had also resigned, saying the home secretary had orchestrated a “vicious and orchestrated campaign against him”. Ofcom – attempts to fix recruitment of a new boss Ofcom is one of the most powerful independent regulators in the country, with a remit covering telecoms and broadband as well as broadcasting, and as such, there is considerable interest as to who might become its new chair. Paul Dacre, the former editor of the Daily Mail, is very much Johnson’s choice for the role, but was turned down after an interview panel did not think he met the criteria. Rather than seek a more qualified candidate, ministers instead reopened the process with a change to the job description, intended to give Dacre a better chance. Electoral Commission – limiting its powers and independence Among a series of measures in the government’s elections bill, introduced to the Commons in September, are some that critics say would limit the Electoral Commission, which, regulates elections across the UK and can launch prosecutions for wrongdoing.
The commission has been examining whether Johnson committed any offences in the way the Downing Street flat refurbishment was financed. Its report is now understood to have been sent to No 10. The elections bill would stop the commission launching prosecutions, and would oblige it to follow a “strategy and policy statement” put together by the lead Cabinet Office minister, Michael Gove. Critics say this would give Gove the ability to limit its work, although the government says the statement would have to be approved by MPs. Judicial review – restrict its use The judiciary is one of the most fundamental elements of oversight in politics, and critics say ministers are trying to cripple this by limiting the use of judicial review, where a judge examines the lawfulness of an action or a decision of a public body. While ministers say the right has been abused, a number of MPs and peers have warned the plans would greatly limit accountability.