The report, Ethics and Integrity Institutions: Mapping UK Standards in Public Life, focuses on the institutions that uphold standards in public life and is an updated version of the 2020 mapping exercise prepared to mark the 25th anniversary of the Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL).

The authors examine the UK system of standards in public life at a moment of institutional transition: in October 2025, the EIC replaced the CSPL, which for 30 years had advised the Government on upholding the highest standards of propriety in public life. The new Commission has a broader remit: in addition to promoting the Seven Principles of Public Life, it is expected to conduct research and thematic inquiries, make recommendations on changes to existing arrangements, advise public authorities on codes of conduct, report annually to the Prime Minister on the health of standards in public life, and convene ethics and standards bodies working in this area.

The report analyses the institutions and mechanisms operating in central government, the House of Commons, the House of Lords, local government, the Civil Service and the judiciary. Particular attention is given to the fact that the system of standards in public life is gradually extending beyond the regulation of public office holders alone. It increasingly encompasses groups and organisations that are not formally part of public service but have a significant influence on public governance: political parties, lobbyists, contractors and providers of public services. The authors note that the relationship between the state and the private sector is particularly fraught with integrity risk, as demonstrated by the scandals surrounding public procurement during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Overall, the authors describe the UK standards system as a complex institutional landscape shaped both in response to specific challenges and under the influence of CSPL recommendations. This system combines independent elements of oversight, complaints mechanisms, codes of conduct and ethics advice.

Among the general trends in the development of the UK system, the authors identify the codification of standards in codes of conduct and guidance, the development of transparency and accountability mechanisms, ethics training and tailored advice. At the same time, political institutions continue to retain a considerable degree of discretion, relying on self-regulation, non-statutory frameworks and case-by-case judgements. According to the authors, the central task of any successful ethics and integrity system is to strike the right balance between the discretion necessary for well-functioning public administration and effective accountability that ensures conflicts of interest are resolved in the public interest.