Sir Laurie Magnus named Rishi Sunak’s new ethics adviser

Prime minister appoints Historic England chair to role that had been vacant for six months

Rishi Sunak has appointed a former banker and quango head to be his ethics adviser after a six-month delay in filling the post, but will not allow the new incumbent to launch his own investigations into potential wrongdoing.

Sir Laurie Magnus, who spent his career in corporate finance and chairs Historic England, will take over from Christopher Geidt, who resigned as the independent adviser on ministers’ interests under Boris Johnson in June.