Former No. 10 comms chief Sir Robbie Gibb failed to seek advice before joining a Tory lobbying group, breaching government rules

• Sir Robbie Gibb joined The Enterprise Forum, which gives firms access to ministers, in March 2020.
• Gibb did not apply for advice from the lobbying watchdog ACOBA before joining the Forum's board.
• The rules breach should lead to a letter from Lord Pickles, ACOBA chair ... and Forum president.
• An expert said this shows "how little teeth ACOBA has."

Sir Robbie Gibb, a member of the BBC's governing board and former Downing Street communications director, breached government rules by failing to seek official advice before joining the board of a top Conservative lobbying forum, Insider can disclose.

Gibb, who served as Theresa May's director of communications until July 2019, made no application to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA) for his unpaid role at The Enterprise Forum, a group that helps businesses access senior Conservatives and lobby them on policy.

The government's Business Appointment Rules, designed to impose limitations on lobbying activity, say former senior special advisors must seek advice from ACOBA before taking up new appointments.

ACOBA will then provide advice informing applicants that they cannot be involved in lobbying the government for two years from leaving it, and that they must not use their contacts to influence government policy.

Gibb's role with The Enterprise Forum, and failure to declare before joining it, demonstrates the revolving door between senior government officials and lobbyists, as well as what an expert described as "how little teeth ACOBA has."

Gibb previously sought advice from ACOBA for his work setting up an independent consultancy and working with the public-relations firm Kekst CNC, but an ACOBA spokesperson confirmed to Insider that Gibb made no application for his work with The Enterprise Forum.

Gibb's failure to consult ACOBA is particularly awkward for ACOBA's chairman, Lord Eric Pickles, who has been the president of The Enterprise Forum since 2017.

Gibb joined The Enterprise Forum in March 2020, a month before Pickles took the chair of ACOBA.

It is also awkward for fellow ACOBA committee member Andrew Cumpsty, the co-founder and chairman of The Enterprise Forum. Cumpsty was appointed to ACOBA in January 2021.

Previous breaches of the Business Appointment Rules have led to Pickles writing to the person concerned, requesting an explanation of why no application was made. If unsatisfied by their explanation, Pickles would then write to the Cabinet Office, informing them of a breach of the rules, and leaving it to the government to take further steps.

When Gibb joined, Cumpsty said: "The Directors of the Forum look forward to working with Robbie to build a strong programme of events for our members."

It is unclear how Gibb could have worked to support events between ministers and members of The Enterprise Forum while remaining within the standard restrictions of the Business Appointment Rules.

As Insider reported on Sunday, Gibb made no mention of his role with The Enterprise Forum on his BBC declaration of interests either.

Gibb is no longer a member of The Enterprise Forum.

'A blatant flouting of the revolving-door rules'

Susan Hawley, executive director at Spotlight on Corruption, told Insider that Gibb's failure to consult ACOBA was a "blatant flouting" of the government's rules.

"This is clearly a blatant flouting of the revolving-door rules. It once again highlights how little teeth ACOBA has and its lack of resourcing," she said.

"There are also legitimate questions to be asked about how appropriate it is that ACOBA is run by the chair of a body like The Enterprise Forum which exists to facilitate access to politicians, and whether this undermines its perceived independence."

Tom Brake, former Liberal Democrat MP and director of Unlock Democracy, told Insider: "Mr. Gibb's involvement with the Enterprise Forum is of interest, as he appears to have taken up this role without the knowledge of ACOBA, which vets the appointments of ex-senior civil servants. If this is the case, then a rule has been broken."

"In a further twist, and rather perplexingly, ACOBA is chaired by Lord Pickles who is also the President of the Enterprise Forum. Lord Pickles would know better than anybody the past and present membership of The Enterprise Forum, and in the case of Mr. Gibb, the requirement to seek permission from ACOBA to take up a role at the EF. Instead it looks as though the left hand doesn't know what the right is up to."

Gibb did not respond to a request for comment.