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Boris Johnson’s new ethics adviser works for arms company
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The government’s new ministerial ethics adviser, Lord Geidt, is paid by the global arms company BAE Systems, openDemocracy can reveal.

As former private secretary to the Queen, the government said Christopher Geidt had a “distinguished record of impartial public service” and would clear up the sleaze scandal engulfing Westminster.

But Geidt is also a member of the International Advisory Board for BAE Systems, which has long faced allegations of corruption and bribery.

The newly appointed independent adviser on ministerial interests also holds paid positions at telecoms company Theia Group Inc, and multi-billion-pound asset management giant Schroders PLC, which has wide-ranging financial interests across a huge range of sectors, according to the Register of Members Interests.

Opposition MPs have raised concerns about conflicts of interests between Geidt’s “inappropriate” commercial roles and his new job as Johnson’s ethics advisor.

BAE has been repeatedly criticised for selling weapons to Saudi Arabia, and was recently accused of being party to war crimes in Yemen.

It is also a major government contractor, having won billions of pounds worth of deals from ministerial departments since Boris Johnson became prime minister. They include a series of Test and Trace contracts from the Department of Health, valued at more than £7.9m.

Records produced by Transparency International also show that BAE Systems has enjoyed more access to government ministers than any other company in the past ten years, with at least 209 meetings since 2012. This year, it has also employed two private lobbying firms, including Finsbury Group – an agency founded by the brother of former Conservative home secretary, Amber Rudd.

[1] Url: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/dark-money-investigations/boris-johnsons-new-ethics-adviser-works-for-arms-company/