Sir Grant Shapps has been cleared to join a defence startup by parliament’s standards watchdog, as long as he promises not to work on defence-related matters.
In a move which has been criticised by MPs and experts, the former defence secretary has been allowed to become chairman of Cambridge Aerospace.
He was given the go-ahead by the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba), which oversees the jobs given to ministers and special advisers when they leave office.
Sir Grant told the watchdog the firm, which was founded after the Conservatives left office, will “develop technologies to reduce risks to aviation”.
Acoba agreed, allowing him to offer “strategic direction and high level advice”, but said he cannot work on defence-related issues.
Labour MP Phil Brickell told The Guardian the watchdog’s condition was “stretching credulity” given Cambridge Aerospace’s own statements in public and its supporters.
The startup has raised millions of pounds off the back of a presentation describing it as a “defence tech” firm and outlining the need to prepare for a “new era of warfare”, according to a report by The Upstart.
Its first product, dubbed Skyhammer, has been compared to Israel’s Iron Dome missile defence system and aims to intercept drones and cruise missiles.
Co-founder Prof Steven Barrett also told Bloomberg the company had “one mission”, which is to “protect the UK and our allies from the well-known threats we face from the skies”.
Sir Grant was defence secretary from August 2023 until the general election in July 2024, which meant he had to apply for Acoba approval to take up the role.
Acoba’s aim is to prevent ministers and private companies from unfairly benefitting from information gained by those working in government.
It identified a “limited” conflict of interests for Sir Grant, adding: “Whilst you will have had oversight of a wide range of information on policy, operations and matters generally affecting defence, there is no direct overlap with your access to sensitive information as this work focuses on civilian aerospace.”
Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to scrap Acoba after repeated criticism of it as “toothless”, with the PM replacing it with a new Ethics and Integrity Commission created from the Committee on Standards in Public Life.
Sir Grant told The Guardian: “I joined Cambridge Aerospace because I have always believed in the importance of protecting our civilian airspace — a belief only strengthened by witnessing the devastation caused by Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.
“As the company has grown, so too have the threats facing our nation. Our mission is to develop technology that can save lives, strengthen UK and allied security, and create highly skilled British jobs. I’m proud to be a founding partner in a business dedicated to those goals.”
He added that if the company “can help save some lives in Ukraine then that would obviously be very good news”.
Prof Barrett added: “In the less than a year since Cambridge Aerospace was formed, we have developed a range of products, hired nearly 60 people into highly skilled engineering roles, and continue to invest significantly in full domestic manufacturing.
“As we have seen in Ukraine, the need to protect against a range of threats from the air, targeted at anything from infrastructure to civilian populations is only increasing. I am incredibly proud of the work our team has done to provide a low-cost solution that can provide vital defensive capabilities to these threats facing Europe and our allies.”
