The Ethics and Integrity Commission (EIC) is a UK public body that promotes high ethical standards in public life.

It was launched on 13 October 2025 and replaces the Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL). Like the CSPL, the EIC will “promote, oversee, and report on the Seven Principles of Public Life”, which was the CSPL’s core role since it devised them in 1995.

The Labour Party had committed to creating a body to oversee ethics in public life in its 2024 manifesto. On 21 July 2025, the Labour government announced plans for the EIC to oversee ethical standards.

What does the Ethics and Integrity Commission do?

The EIC has the following responsibilities, as set out in its terms of reference:

  1. Promoting and upholding the seven principles of public life.
  2. Conducting research and making recommendations – to carry out studies and thematic reviews to recommend improvements that raise standards in public life.
  3. Advising on codes of conduct – to help public authorities create clear codes of conduct with strong oversight, as set out in the Public Office (Accountability) Bill.
  4. Reporting annually on standards – to examine concerns about the conduct in public office and provide the Prime Minister with an annual report on standards in public life.
  5. Educating the public – to communicate the values, rules, and oversight systems that maintain standards in public life to the wider public.
  6. Bringing standards bodies together – to convene ethics and standards bodies across central government and parliament to share good practice and identify shared concerns.

The EIC can examine and report on systems that are in place to uphold ethical standards in public life in England. It can only inquire into matters related to devolved administrations with their express agreement (the equivalent of the EIC in Scotland is the Standards Commission for Scotland).

It can also examine any arrangements related to the funding of political parties, elections and referendums.

The EIC CANNOT investigate individual cases of alleged ethical impropriety. The EIC is not a regulator and does not have the power to sanction individuals or bodies.

How is the Ethics and Integrity Commission governed?

The EIC is an advisory body of the Cabinet Office. It is sponsored by the Cabinet Office’s Director of Propriety and Ethics.

The EIC has a chair and six independent members, all appointed by the Prime Minister to serve a non-renewable five year term. The EIC also has three political members nominated by the three largest parties in the House of Commons.

The EIC meets monthly, and the agenda and minutes of its meetings are available on its website.

What are the other ethics and standards bodies in the UK?

The EIC is one of several bodies in the UK that oversee ethical conduct and standards, sometimes referred to as the “standards landscape”.

The EIC convenes the Network of Standards Bodies to share best practice and identify areas of concern. The Network has the following members (this is not an exhaustive list of standards bodies):

Further information on the standards landscape in the UK can be found in the following reports:

What are the seven principles of public life?

The seven principles of public life were first articulated in the CSPL’s first report published in May 1995: MPs, Ministers and Civil Servants, Executive Quangos. This report is known as the Nolan Report (and the principles are sometimes referred to as the Nolan Principles) after the CSPL’s first chair, Lord Nolan.

The seven principles of public life apply to anyone in public life. This includes anyone elected or appointed to public office, and all people appointed to work in the Civil Service, local government, the police, courts and probation services, non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), and in the health, education and social care services. The EIC is the “custodian” of the principles. They are responsible for promoting the principles to public officials and public bodies, for explaining them, and for ensuring they are upheld by identifying systemic issues.

The seven principles of public life are:

  • Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest.
  • Holders of public office must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. They should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.
  • Holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.
  • Holders of public office are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this.
  • Holders of public office should act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner. Information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for so doing.
  • Holders of public office should be truthful.
  • Holders of public office should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour and treat others with respect. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles and challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs.

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