Decision

Advice Letter: Syed Kamall, Professor of Politics and International Relations, St Mary's University, Twickenham, London

Updated 21 August 2023

1. BUSINESS APPOINTMENT APPLICATION: Lord Kamall, former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). Paid appointment with St Mary’s University - Twickenham London.

You sought advice from the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (the Committee) under the Government’s Business Appointments Rules for Former Ministers (the Rules) on a role you wish to take up with St Mary’s University. The material information taken into consideration by the Committee is set out in the annex.

The Committee has advised that a number of conditions be imposed to mitigate the potential risks to the government associated with this appointment under the Rules; this is not an endorsement of this appointment in any other respect.

The Ministerial Code sets out that ministers must abide by the Committee’s advice. It is an applicant’s personal responsibility to manage the propriety of any appointment. Former ministers of the Crown, and Members of Parliament are expected to uphold the highest standards of propriety and act in accordance with the 7 Principles of Public Life.

2. The Committee’s consideration of the risk presented

The Committee noted there is no overlap with your time in office. The Committee^{[footnote 1]} therefore it considered the risk this appointment could reasonably be perceived as a reward for decisions or actions taken in office is low. It is also relevant that you are returning to the former role you held with the same University before you entered government.

Inherent in all applications, is a risk associated with a former official’s access to sensitive information and influence via contacts within government, which could be perceived to offer the University an unfair advantage. Though the Committee notes your former department has no concerns regarding your access to information and your proposed role does not involve contact with government.

3. The Committee’s advice

The Committee did not consider this appointment raises any particular proprietary concerns under the government’s Business Appointment Rules. While there are inherent risks associated with your access to sensitive information and contacts, the standard conditions below, preventing you from drawing on your privileged information and using your contacts to the unfair advantage of St Mary’s University, will sufficiently mitigate in this case.

The Committee advises, under the government’s Business Appointment Rules, that your appointment with St Mary’s University be subject to the following conditions:

• You should not draw on (disclose or use for the benefit of yourself or the persons or organisations to which this advice refers) any privileged information available to you from your time in ministerial office;

• for two years from your last day in ministerial office, you should not become personally involved in lobbying the government or its Arms’ Length Bodies on behalf of St Mary’s University (including parent companies, subsidiaries, partners and clients); nor should you make use, directly or indirectly, of your contacts in government and/or Crown service to influence policy, secure business/funding or otherwise unfairly advantage St Mary’s University (including parent companies, subsidiaries, partners and clients); and

• for two years from your last day in ministerial office you should not undertake any work with St Mary’s University (including parent companies, subsidiaries, partners and clients) that involves providing advice on the terms of, or with regard to the subject matter of a bid with, or contract relating directly to the work of, the government or its Arms’ Length Bodies.

The advice and the conditions under the government’s Business Appointment Rules relate to your previous role in government only; they are separate to rules administered by other bodies such as the Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists or the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards/House of Lords Commissioners for Standards. It is an individual’s personal responsibility to understand any other rules and regulations they may be subject to in parallel with this Committee’s advice.

You must inform us as soon as you take up employment with this organisation. Similarly you must inform us if you propose to extend or otherwise change the nature of your role as, depending on the circumstances, it may be necessary for you to make a fresh application.

Once the appointment has been publicly announced or taken up, we will publish this letter on the Committee’s website.

4. Annex - Material information

4.1 The role

You said you would return to your paid, part-time role as Professor of Politics and International Relations at St Mary’s University - Twickenham London. You said you will be teaching, including on the International Organisations module of the Politics and International Relations BA (Hons), the Global Governance module of the Diplomacy and International Relations MA and the Social Justice from Theory to Practice module on the Social Justice and Public Service MA. You may also supervise BA (Hons) Politics and International Relations,, MA Diplomacy and International Relations, Social Justice and Public Service and PhD dissertations. You said your role will not involve contact with government.

You informed the Committee you were appointed to this professorship in 2019. When you were appointed as a Minister, you immediately took unpaid leave of absence. You explained you retained the title of Professor but stepped back from professional work and contact with St Mary’s and you are now looking to return to the same role you held before entering government.

4.2 Dealings in office

You said you did not meet the University in your capacity as a minister, though you did attend an event hosted by St Mary’s and a private dinner afterwards. You said you are not aware of any relationship but St Mary’s does offer courses in the areas of health and sports.

You confirmed you made no decisions regarding St Mary’s University or their competitors while in post.

4.3 Department Assessment

The department confirmed the details you provided and confirmed it has no concerns regarding this application.

1. This application for advice was considered by Isabel Doverty; Sarah de Gay; Richard Thomas; Jonathan Baume; Andrew Cumpsty; Lord Larry Whitty and Mike Weir. Dr Susan Liautaud was unavailable. Lord Larry Whitty was unavailable. ↩