British PM Sunak appoints ethics adviser after six months' gap

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appointed Laurie Magnus, chairman of Historic England, as his independent adviser on ministers' interests on Thursday, filing a role that has been vacant since Boris Johnson's ethics adviser quit in June. Magnus has more than 40 years' experience in the financial services industry, with expertise in the areas of audit, compliance and corporate governance.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appointed Laurie Magnus, chairman of Historic England, as his independent adviser on ministers' interests on Thursday, filing a role that has been vacant since Boris Johnson's ethics adviser quit in June. Sunak, who became prime minister in October with a pledge to maintain "integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level", said filling the role had been a priority to help ensure standards were upheld and the public could have confidence in the government.

Former Prime Minister Johnson's ethics adviser Christopher Geidt resigned a month after he said Johnson must explain why he thought he had not broken the ministerial code after being fined over attending a party during the COVID-19 national lockdown. Magnus has more than 40 years' experience in the financial services industry, with expertise in the areas of audit, compliance and corporate governance. Since 2013, he has led Historic England, a public body that helps preserve places of historical interest.