Former Conservative defence secretary Sir Grant Shapps has resigned from his role as chair of Cambridge Aerospace after being found to have broken rules on post-ministerial employment. The 57-year-old, who served in multiple cabinet positions under David Cameron, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, and Rishi Sunak, left the position on April 30, months after the firm secured a multi-million-pound Ministry of Defence contract for Skyhammer interceptor missiles.
ACOBA Warnings Ignored
Correspondence published on Tuesday evening between Shapps and the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA) reveals that he had earlier been warned to correct public profiles—including his LinkedIn page—that portrayed him as chair of a defence company. Sir Laurie Magnus, Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards, told Shapps he had 'allowed a perception of impropriety to develop' after the company won the MoD contract.
Shapps' Defence
Shapps had previously maintained that his role was strictly limited to civilian aerospace, but the company's focus later shifted heavily towards defence. In a letter dated May 12, the former defence secretary said the global geopolitical context had changed 'markedly' since the company was founded in 2024, citing recent events in Iran, which blurred the lines between military and civilian aerospace protection. He apologised and 'fully accepted' that he should have sought updated advice from ACOBA as the circumstances changed.
However, he stated 'without qualification' that he had absolutely no involvement in the pursuit, negotiation, or award of the MoD contract, and was only 'abstractly aware' of the contract process. He maintained that he never used privileged information from his time in office, did not lobby the UK Government, and did not use his contacts to influence policy or secure business for the company.
Sir Laurie Magnus' Findings
Sir Laurie Magnus told Shapps on May 19 that he had 'allowed a perception of impropriety to develop', 'neglected to seek fresh advice on a changing role', and 'failed to follow ACOBA’s advice to correct public domain information about Cambridge Aerospace and your role within it'. Under business appointment rules, former ministers are not allowed to lobby the government for two years after leaving office and must seek advice from ACOBA for any outside employment they wish to accept.
Shapps was Conservative MP for Welwyn Hatfield until he lost his seat to Labour's Andrew Lewin at the last General Election.
