Ethics watchdog chief steps back as government examines past misconduct cases

The chief executive of Britain's Ethics and Integrity Commission has stepped back from his role while the government establishes the facts about earlier sexual misconduct allegations. Stuart Sterling became the new commission's first chief executive in October 2025. A government spokesperson described the allegations as serious and said the facts would be established swiftly. Stepping back is not a finding in a criminal case, and the accounts of the separate historical incidents differ.

The first case concerns a complaint from his period as a junior officer at Northamptonshire Police. Published reporting described an allegation of inappropriate touching of a female colleague and a disciplinary hearing. Sterling's representative confirmed that a full disciplinary process concerning a 2002 complaint took place, that he cooperated and that it resulted in a sanction. Police confirmed that a digital record of a 2002 misconduct process exists. The published account referred to a 2003 hearing and a penalty equivalent to two weeks' pay; those dates should not be treated as two independently established incidents.

A second allegation was reported as relating to a social gathering in 2008. Sterling's representative denied that the alleged incident happened and said he was never the subject of a criminal investigation, although professional standards examined the allegation. The representative also said Sterling left the police voluntarily and had not been required to resign. Northamptonshire Police did not comment on that later allegation.

Sterling joined the Cabinet Office in 2009 and subsequently held several senior posts, including a 2019 secondment to the National Police Chiefs' Council. He received an OBE in 2023 for work helping to plan Queen Elizabeth's funeral. What vetting was carried out when he entered the Cabinet Office is not clear. The Cabinet Office is understood to be examining whether the appropriate information was disclosed correctly.

The commission was promised in Labour's 2024 manifesto as part of a drive to improve standards in public life after pandemic-era scandals. Its chief executive's duties included advising the prime minister about misconduct in government. The immediate questions therefore concern both the historical disciplinary record and the appointment and disclosure processes for a senior standards role. No final government conclusion has yet been announced.