Grant Shapps Quits Cambridge Aerospace After Skyhammer Missile Deal Triggers 2-Year Rules Probe
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · May 19
Grant Shapps Quits Cambridge Aerospace After Skyhammer Missile Deal Triggers 2-Year Rules Probe
5 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 19
Shapps resigned as Cambridge Aerospace chairman on April 30 after ethics watchdog Sir Laurie Magnus challenged whether his role breached a two-year ban on former ministers handling defence-related work.
The scrutiny followed the firm's April 10 announcement of a multimillion-pound contract to supply Skyhammer interceptor missiles to the UK and Gulf allies, which Magnus said conflicted with Shapps' original description of the job.
Acoba had approved the 2025 appointment on condition that Shapps avoid defence matters entirely until two years after leaving office, but Magnus said he let a perception of impropriety develop and failed to uphold the rules.
Shapps said he had no involvement in the contract or the company's military work and apologized for not seeking fresh advice as the business moved into defence, calling that omission an oversight.
The case adds to pressure for tougher sanctions on former ministers, with Labour MP Phil Brickell saying the resignation was welcome but the current enforcement regime remains too weak.
With its chairman gone, can a crucial UK missile start-up still deliver on its national security promises?
After another ethics scandal, can the UK truly stop former ministers from cashing in on government roles?
Was the ex-minister's ethics breach a simple oversight or a calculated risk that ultimately backfired?