Wimbledon MP Hammond apologises for “technical” breach of ministerial rules

By Davina Hyde

An ex-minister has been criticised by a Whitehall watchdog for not declaring a new role with a think-tank.

Conservative MP for Wimbledon Stephen Hammond has apologised for taking up the role of Joint Chair with Public Policy Projects (PPP) last year, without first seeking advice from the watchdog Advisory Committee on Business appointments (ACOBA).

Mr Hammond breached Government rules and a requirement set out in the Ministerial Code that Ministers must seek advice from ACOBA “about any appointments or employment they wish to take up within two years of leaving office”.

He claims he did not realise he needed to seek advice from ACOBA for any job –  he thought it was just employment within the sphere of the Department of Health and Social Care, which he left in July 2019.

Despite ACOBA finding that Mr Hammond had breached the Ministerial Code, the watchdog went on to approve the role of Joint Chair with PPP.

It has also permitted him to expand the role so that he can now also advise on healthcare for the PPP.

Wimbledon MP Stephen Hammond said: “Last year I accepted a role with PPP, a policy institute, as chair of their infrastructure group, which I registered with the House of Commons Registrar. I inadvertently misinterpreted the advice requirements for former Ministers.

“I left the Department for Transport in 2014 and did not realise I should have sought advice from ACOBA. This was a technical breach and there can be no suggestion of impropriety as the role was always declared to the House authorities. I have apologised and ACOBA have now sanctioned my role with PPP.”

Cllr Paul Kohler,  the Lib Dem election candidate who in 2019 came within 600 votes of overturning Stephen Hammond’s 15,000-vote 2017 majority said: “Stephen Hammond promised to be a strong voice in Parliament. Little did the voters of Wimbledon realise the only person he’d be speaking up for is himself, nor that he’d completely lose his voice when it came to asking permission to take another job in breach of the ministerial code.

“Stephen Hammond is a part-time MP and treating the voters of Wimbledon with contempt.  He took a second job without permission in breach of the ministerial code and, on the day he was censured and should have been apologising, announced he’d got a third job instead.”