Ex-Boris Johnson ethics adviser Lord Geidt found to have broken Lords rules

A crossbench peer and former ethics adviser to Boris Johnson has been found to have broken House of Lords rules by joining a meeting with Ministry of Defence officials on behalf of a US satellite company that was paying him.

Christopher Geidt, a former royal aide to Queen Elizabeth II, was asked by the House of Lords conduct committee to write a letter of apology after the standards commissioner found he “provided a parliamentary service in return for payment or other reward”.

The commissioner investigated Lord Geidt following a complaint that he had attended a meeting on behalf of Theia, a now defunct satellite company, in May 2021 with Ministry of Defence officials.

“Lord Geidt has a formidable record of public service, including as private secretary to Queen Elizabeth and as the independent adviser on ministers’ interests.”

Separately, the conduct committee found that John Mann, a non-affliated peer and former Labour MP, breached provisions relating to the registration of interests and use of House of Lords facilities, and dismissed his appeal.

It found Mann had failed to record support from the Antisemitism Policy Trust in his register of interests and had used his parliamentary office for his work as the government’s adviser.