UK ministerial code updated to set out possible sanctions for breaches

LONDON, May 27 (Reuters) -   British ministers who breach the government’s code of conduct will not be expected to resign, an official document published on Friday said with an updated version of the rule book setting out a range of alternative sanctions.  

Behaviour at the heart of government is under intense scrutiny after a series of scandals - including several illegal parties in Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s offices during the COVID-19 lockdown.  

The policy paper, published alongside the latest version of the Ministerial Code, said it was “disproportionate to expect that any breach, however minor, should lead automatically to resignation or dismissal”.  

It had previously been expected that ministers who breached the guidance would be dismissed, though the 2019 code itself did not set out sanctions, only stating ministers were expected to resign if they misled parliament.