Sir Keir Starmer and his team plan to use an opposition day debate, when Parliament returns from its week-long break to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, to encourage Conservative MPs to vote and rebel against Mr Johnson’s changes.
Boris Johnson accused of watering down rules for ministers following ‘partygate’
It is traditional for ministers to resign or face the sack if they are found to have breached the code.
But a government policy statement said on Friday that this was a “disproportionate” expectation in the case of “minor” violations of the code.
Instead, the code has been updated, giving the prime minister the option of ordering a lesser sanction such as “some form of public apology, remedial action or removal of ministerial salary for a period.”
Mr Johnson has drawn backing for allowing his independent adviser on the code, Lord Geidt, to mount investigations into possible violations on his own initiative.
Under the peer’s revised terms of reference, there will be an “enhanced process” to enable him to initiate inquiries, but he will still require the prime minister’s consent before going ahead.
The changes come days after the final report by Sue Gray into lockdown parties at Downing Street led to renewed calls for Mr Johnson to resign.
The Tory leader faces an inquiry by the Commons Privileges Committee into whether he misled Parliament with his regular reassurances that Covid rules were upheld at No 10 during England’s lockdowns.
On the opposition day debate, Labour is set to ask MPs to enshrine the commitment that ministers who commit serious breaches of the ministerial code will have to resig
