Analysis of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments public register, cross-referenced with Companies House filings and parliamentary declarations, reveals that 60 former ministers who held government positions between 2019 and 2025 now hold paid advisory, board or consultancy roles with UK defence contractors — a 40% increase on the equivalent cohort who left government after the 2010 general election.
ACOBA, the body that advises former ministers and senior civil servants on post-public-service employment, approved 54 of the 60 appointments. In six cases, former ministers took up positions without seeking ACOBA approval, as is legally permitted: ACOBA’s guidance is advisory, not binding, and carries no statutory penalty for non-compliance.
The Two-Year Rule in Practice
Ministers are required to seek ACOBA advice for two years after leaving government for any appointment that might give rise to a conflict of interest. Of the 60 appointments identified, 23 were made within 18 months of the minister leaving office. In 11 of those 23 cases, the minister had held a departmental brief with direct oversight of defence procurement while in government.
One case involves a former Minister of State at the Ministry of Defence who left government in July 2024 and joined the advisory board of a major UK missile systems manufacturer in November 2024 — four months later. ACOBA approved the appointment subject to a condition that the individual not lobby former ministerial colleagues for 12 months. The manufacturer had held contracts worth £340 million with the MoD during the minister’s tenure.
The Revolving Door Under Labour
The current Labour government came to power in July 2024 on a platform that included strengthening lobbying transparency rules. To date, no legislation has been introduced. The Cabinet Office confirmed in September 2026 that a consultation on ACOBA reform was “under development” but declined to give a timetable.
Transparency International UK, which tracks revolving-door appointments, told Exposed News that the growth in defence-sector placements reflects the expansion of UK defence spending following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “The money going into defence has made it one of the most attractive destinations for former ministers,” said the organisation’s head of policy. “The oversight has not kept pace.”