Rishi Sunak has been reported to the Standards Committee for breaching rule 13 of the members’ Code of Conduct. According to the Standards Commissioner, the Prime Minister’s indiscretion was that he “gave a statement to media outlets which contained details of the ongoing investigation”. That initial investigation – which was rectified after Rishi apologised for breaching rules over the declaration of interests – was extended after Sunak shared confidential information to the media. After concluding a breach of rule 13, albeit minor, the Standards Commissioner had no choice other than to refer the matter to the Standards Committee. They concluded:

“This was a minor and inadvertent breach of the Code. Mr Sunak’s staff should not have issued any statement about the details of the case under investigation, without the approval of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards. The Commissioner has made clear that it had no impact on his inquiry. Nevertheless, it constitutes a breach that should not have occurred. However, Mr Sunak acknowledges that with hindsight he would have followed a different course of action. We would remind the Prime Minister, and all Ministers, like all other MPs, that it is their responsibility, as individuals, to ensure that such breaches do not occur.”

Case closed.

Read the report in full below: