Matthew Rycroft

Sir Matthew sought the Committee’s advice about establishing an independent consultancy and taking up a commission with the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. The letter containing the Commission’s consideration and the conditions imposed on the independent consultancy was sent in February 2026. The consultancy was established later that month.

The letter is attached as a PDF and in HTML format.

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Cabinet Office

10 February 2026

Application to establish an independent consultancy under the Business Appointment Rules from Sir Matthew Rycroft KCMG CBE, former Permanent Secretary at the Home Office.

Thank you for submitting an application for advice under the Business Appointment Rules (the Rules) to the Civil Service Commission (the Commission) on behalf of Sir Matthew Rycroft KCMG CBE, formerly Permanent Secretary of the Home Office.  The application is to establish an independent consultancy and to also take on a proposed commission with the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI). Further detail on the content of the application is in the Annex. The Commission’s advice is required as Sir Matthew is a civil servant at SCS Pay Band 4. His last day of service was 28 March 2025.

The purpose of the Rules is to protect the integrity of the government. They aim to avoid any reasonable concerns that: a civil servant may be influenced in their official duties by the risk of reward; a civil servant may improperly exploit access to information; and an organisation may gain an improper influence through the employment of a civil servant.

The Commission’s advice^[1] is that this application to form an independent consultancy should be subject to the following conditions:

1. Privileged information – Sir Matthew should not draw on (disclose or use for the benefit of himself or the persons or organisations to which this advice refers) any privileged information available to him from his time in office.
2. Lobbying – For two years from his last day in office, until 28 March 2027, Sir Matthew should not become personally involved in lobbying the UK government or its arm’s length bodies on behalf of his independent consultancy (including parent companies, subsidiaries, partners and clients). He should also not use, directly or indirectly, his contacts in the government and/or civil service to influence policy, secure business/funding or otherwise unfairly advantage his independent consultancy (including parent companies, subsidiaries, partners and clients).
3. Bids and contracts – For two years from his last day in the civil service, until 28 March 2027, Sir Matthew should not provide advice to any company or organisation on behalf of his independent consultancy on a bid or contract relating to the UK government or its arm’s length bodies.
4. Independent consultancy – For two years from his last day in civil service, until 28 March 2027, before accepting any work for his independent consultancy and/or before extending or otherwise changing the nature of his work, he should seek advice from the Commission. The Commission will decide whether each piece of work is consistent with the terms of the consultancy and consider any relevant factors under the Rules. This excludes work that falls into the following categories: unpaid roles; non-executive charitable roles; academic roles (such as teaching, research or peer review); journalism and media appearances (excluding corporate or management roles in media organisations); or one-off speaking engagements. In these cases, the other conditions outlined in this letter will still apply.

Sir Matthew’s commission with the TBI should be subject to all the conditions listed above as well as the following additional condition:

5. Limitation to the role – For two years from his last day in civil service, until 28 March 2027, Sir Matthew is prevented from advising the TBI or its clients on work regarding any policy or operational matter that he had a material role in developing or determining, or where he had a material relationship with the relevant client, during his time as Permanent Secretary at the Home Office.

The Rules set out that civil servants must abide by the Commission’s advice. It is Sir Matthew’s personal responsibility to manage the propriety of any appointment and to understand any other rules and regulations he may be subject to in parallel with the Commission’s advice.

Sir Matthew must seek advice if he proposes to extend or otherwise change his consultancy work or the scope of his commission with the TBI changes. Once this appointment has been publicly announced or taken up, the letter will be published on the Civil Service Commission’s website.

Yours sincerely,

Gisela Stuart

First Civil Service Commissioner

Annex A: The application

Applicant assessment

1. Sir Matthew stated that he will be setting up his own consulting service. He said the consulting work will focus on providing advisory work on a range of topics. These include foreign affairs, geopolitics, risk, government relations, organisational design and leadership. He stated his consulting work will not involve contact with, or lobbying of, the UK Government.

2. Sir Matthew stated that the skills and knowledge offered by his independent consultancy comes from his extensive experience in government earned before his recent role as Permanent Secretary, including roles in the Department for International Development and the Foreign, Commonwealth Office^[2].

3. As Permanent Secretary of the Home Office, Sir Matthew’s role involved overall oversight of the department’s functions in national security and public safety functions including policing, counter-terrorism, immigration, and passports. He also served as Principal Accounting Officer, the principal adviser to the Home Secretary, and reported to Parliament on the department’s performance.

4. Sir Matthew also informed the Commission of his proposed client the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI), a non-profit organisation founded and led by former UK Prime Minister, Sir Tony Blair. The TBI operates as a global advisory firm and works directly with political leaders and governments in their strategy, development, and crisis management. Sir Matthew stated he did not meet with the TBI during his time as Permanent Secretary of the Home Office, nor have involvement in policy development or decisions specific to the organisation. He added that he was not privy to sensitive information that could provide the TBI with an unfair advantage.

5. Sir Matthew’s commission with the TBI stems from his continued contact with Sir Tony Blair, having previously served as his Private Secretary between 2002 and 2004.

Departmental assessment

Independent consultancy

6. The Cabinet Office and Home Office do not consider Sir Matthew to have had any involvement in decisions that would have been specific to, or provided an unfair advantage for, the establishment of his consulting business. The departments also noted that in his previous civil service roles before March 2020, for which he is no longer subject to the Rules, Sir Matthew had broad oversight of foreign affairs and geopolitics.

7. As Permanent Secretary of the Home Office, the departments stated Sir Matthew was privy to information on UK national security, geopolitics, and security issues. This involved his membership in the National Security Council, which oversees the Joint Intelligence Committee – the UK’s interagency body for intelligence assessment and oversight of the Secret Intelligence Service, Security Service, Government Communication Headquarters, and Defence Intelligence. While he was informed on UK national security matters, the departments concluded that any risks related to sensitive information are appropriately mitigated by standard conditions preventing the use of privileged information.

8. The departments said they did not have concerns with Sir Matthew’s independent consultancy establishment, provided it is subject to the standard conditions, including that Sir Matthew returns to the Commission in the taking up of any new client whilst he is subject to the Rules.

Commission with the TBI

9. The Cabinet Office and Home Office confirmed that, during his recent civil service role, Sir Matthew did not meet with the TBI and was not involved in decisions specific to the organisation. The departments acknowledged that the appointment might attract public comment due to Sir Matthew’s previous role as Private Secretary to Sir Tony Blair between 2002 and 2004. However, given the significant passage of time and Sir Matthew’s extensive subsequent career in the Civil Service, the departments concluded that the proposed commission with the TBI could not be perceived as a reward.

10. The departments recognised a perception risk due to Sir Matthew’s knowledge of the Home Office’s functions and operations. Given the broad nature of TBI’s work, there is a potential for Sir Matthew to advise the TBI or its clients on matters that significantly overlap with his recent time in the civil service. In addition to the standard consultancy conditions, the departments recommended a limitation to his role – specifically preventing Sir Matthew from advising the TBI or its clients on matters he was materially involved in as Permanent Secretary of the Home Office.

CSC analysis

Independent consultancy

11. Risk of reward. As Sir Matthew is establishing a new company, the risk of reward in relation to his independent consultancy for decisions or actions taken in office, is likely to be low.

12. Access to information. Sir Matthew held privileged insight into government national security policy and Home Office departmental strategies. While there is an overlap between his former responsibilities and the proposed remit of his consultancy, the Commission considered this risk to be general rather than specific. By virtue of his seniority as Permanent Secretary, his oversight of government priorities and strategies was broad. Further, he has been out of government service for over nine months, creating a gap between his last access to information and the establishment of his consultancy.

13. Furthermore, a number of  significant government announcements regarding policy decisions and security objectives  have been made since he left office and have therefore reduced the currency of the information he possesses. These include:

• The 2025 Spending Review^[3] and the Home Office’s Main Estimates Memorandum^[4], which publicly sets out the department’s financial, funding and policy priorities for the next year.
• The Home Office’s 2025-2026 Priorities and Structural Reforms^[5], where Sir Matthew’s successor and the current Permanent Secretary of the Home Office publicly outlining the priorities and structural reforms intended for the department for the current financial year. 
• The National Security Strategy 2025^[6] published by the Cabinet Office, which outlines the strategic framework for all aspects of national security and international policy facing the UK.
• The Home Office’s Research, Development and Innovation Strategy 2025 to 2030^[7], which sets out the department’s five year strategy and commitments on these areas.
• The Home Office’s 2030 Digital Strategy^[8], which outlines how the department will use digital, data and technology in the next five years.

The Commission therefore agrees with the departments that the risks relating to Sir Matthew’s access to information to be appropriately mitigated by the standard conditions.

14. Improper influence. As a senior official, there is a risk that Sir Matthew’s government contacts may present an unfair advantage to potential clients of his consulting work. Given the lobbying ban that applies to all former senior civil servants, Sir Matthew should not have contact with ministers or officials that could reasonably be seen as seeking to influence government. It is significant to note that Sir Matthew stated he would not have contact with government as part of his consulting work. The risks relating to lobbying and/or involvement in government bids and contracts are mitigated by the standard conditions.

15. Independent consultancy. This advice provides Sir Matthew consent to set up a consultancy and take up his proposed commission with the TBI, subject to a number of conditions. Before accepting any work for his independent consultancy and/or before extending or otherwise changing the nature of his work, he should seek advice from the Commission. The departments noted that Sir Matthew should return to the Commission before taking up work with any new client whilst he is subject to the Rules. However, the Commission’s view is that this requirement should exclude any work that falls into the following categories: unpaid roles; non-executive charitable roles; academic roles (such as teaching, research or peer review); journalism and media appearances (excluding corporate or management roles in media organisations); or one-off speaking engagements. In these cases, the other conditions outlined in this letter will still apply.

16. Waiting period. As an SCS Pay Band 4 official, Sir Matthew is subject to a three month waiting period upon leaving government service in taking up any appointments. This is not applicable as it has been over nine months since he left the civil service.

Commission with the TBI

17. Risk of reward. Over 20 years have passed since Sir Matthew worked as Private Secretary to Tony Blair between 2002 and 2004. Given his extensive subsequent career and the departments’ confirmation that he made no decisions specific to the TBI in his recent role, the Commission agreed with the Home Office that this commission could not be perceived as a reward.

18. Access to information and limitation to the role. The Commission recognised the departments’ concern that a perception risk exists regarding Sir Matthew’s access to information, particularly given the TBI’s status as a global advisory firm operating across a wide range of subject areas. The risk is most acute where the TBI’s work overlaps with matters Sir Matthew was directly involved in, or where he had access to relevant sensitive information while in office. To mitigate this remaining risk, the Commission agreed with the recommendation that Sir Matthew be prevented from advising the TBI or its clients on work regarding any policy or operational matter that he had a material role in developing or determining, or where he had a material relationship with the relevant client, during his time as Permanent Secretary at the Home Office.

19. Improper influence. Sir Matthew’s role with the TBI does not involve contact with, or lobbying of the UK government on behalf of the organisation. The Commission considered the standard conditions sufficiently mitigate the risks in relation to his initial work with the TBI.

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^[1] See Advice under the Business Appointment Rules for details applying to all advice issued by the Civil Service Commission.

^[2] The Foreign Commonwealth Office officially became the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on 2 September 2020, following its merger with the Department for International Development.

^[3] The 2025 Spending Review:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/spending-review-2025-document/spending-review-2025-html

^[4] The Home Office’s Main Estimates Memorandum: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/48120/documents/251943/default/

^[5] The Home Office’s 2025-2026 Priorities and Structural Reforms: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/50117/documents/270334/default/

^[6] The National Security Strategy 2025: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-security-strategy-2025-security-for-the-british-people-in-a-dangerous-world

^[7] The Home Office’s Research, Development and Innovation Strategy 2025 to 2030: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-office-research-development-and-innovation-strategy#:~:text=Our%20vision%20for%20research%2C%20development,Office%20Published%2010%20March%202025

^[8] The Home Office’s 2030 Digital Strategy: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-office-2030-digital-strategy

Sir Matthew sought the Commission’s advice about taking up an appointment with the Benefact Group. The letter containing the Commission’s consideration and the conditions imposed on the appointment was sent in November 2025; and the appointment was taken up later that month.

The letter is attached as a PDF and in HTML format.

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Cabinet Office

3 November 2025

Paid appointment with the Benefact Group: Application under the Business Appointment Rules from Sir Matthew Rycroft KCMG CBE, former Permanent Secretary at the Home Office.

Thank you for submitting an application for advice under the Business Appointment Rules^[1](the Rules) to the Civil Service Commission (the Commission) on behalf of Sir Matthew Rycroft KCMG CBE, formerly Permanent Secretary at the Home Office. The application is for a paid role as a Senior Adviser with the Benefact Group. Further detail on the content of the application is in the Annex. The Commission’s advice is required as Sir Matthew is a former civil servant at SCS Pay Band 4. His last day of service was 28 March 2025.

The purpose of the Rules is to protect the integrity of the government. They aim to avoid any reasonable concerns that: a civil servant may be influenced in their official duties by the risk of reward; a civil servant may improperly exploit access to information; and an organisation may gain an improper influence through the employment of a civil servant.

The Commission’s advice is that the appointment should be made subject to the following conditions:

1. Sir Matthew should observe a waiting period of three months from his last day in civil service. This concluded on 28 June 2025.

2. Sir Matthew should not draw on (disclose or use for the benefit of himself or the persons or organisations to which this advice refers) any privileged information^[2]available to him from his time in civil service.

3. For two years from his last day in civil service office, until 28 March 2027, Sir Matthew should not become personally involved in lobbying^[3] the UK government or its arm’s length bodies on behalf of the Benefact Group (including parent companies, subsidiaries, partners and clients); nor should Sir Matthew make use, directly or indirectly, of his contacts in the government and/or civil service to influence policy, secure business/funding or otherwise unfairly advantage the Benefact Group (including parent companies, subsidiaries, partners and clients).

4. For two years from his last day in civil service, until 28 March 2027, Sir Matthew should not provide advice to the Benefact Group, on the terms of, or with regard to the subject matter of, a bid or contract with, or relating directly to the work of, the UK government or its arm’s length bodies.

Sir Matthew and Benefact Group confirmed to the Commission of his intention to fully comply with the lobbying ban that applies to him. Benefact Group stated that ‘Sir Matthew’s duties are structurally separated from any lobbying activities’.

The Rules set out that civil servants must abide by the Commission’s advice. It is Sir Matthew’s personal responsibility to manage the propriety of any appointment and to understand any other rules and regulations they may be subject to in parallel with the Commission’s advice.

Sir Matthew must inform the Commission as soon as he takes up this work or if it is announced that he will do so. Similarly, Sir Matthew must seek advice if he proposes to extend or otherwise change his role with the organisation. Once this appointment has been publicly announced or taken up, the advice letter will be published on the Civil Service Commission’s website.

Yours sincerely,

Gisela Stuart

First Civil Service Commissioner

Annex A: The application

Applicant assessment

1. According to its website, the Benefact Group is an international financial services group that operates in specialist markets, including insurance, investment management, and broking and advisory.^[4]Owned by the Benefact Trust, a registered charity, the group gives all of its available profits to charities and supported causes. 

2. As Senior Adviser, Sir Matthew’s responsibilities will involve advising the CEO of the Benefact Group on future strategy, including determining the key areas of focus work on. This should include, but is not limited to:

• Advising potential headline aspirational goals to monitor progress and act as rallying calls / sources of inspiration
• Identifying the (key) market segments in which the Group’s business currently play (as well as potentials for the future)
• Building a strategy to develop intimacy – deepening its relationships and reach within each of those sectors (and ultimately increasing customer penetration), in particular –
  • Advising how it can best help that sector (for the good of society)
  • Identifying a potential runway of thought leadership topics and/ or events

• Recommending options for its future giving strategy (breadth and depth), and, crucially, how this may be amended to assist future growth
• Recommend ways in which to move and inspire all its colleagues
• Recommend ways in which to involve its customers and potential customers
• Marketing strategy – particularly ways to increase word of mouth referrals, advising moving content for films relevant to growth areas, and its “thank you” strategy^[5].
• Offering high-level observations on the interplay between the Group’s brand, the Trust, and its subsidiaries.
• Any other observations on the overarching Group strategy in helping each segment/sector, its intention is to build the Benefact and trading brands, helping the businesses grow so that, ultimately, it can give back more.

3. Sir Matthew confirmed his role will not involve contact with, or lobbying of government. He stated he did not meet with the Benefact Group, nor had involvement in policy development or decisions specific to the organisation. He added that he was not privy to sensitive information that could provide the Benefact Group an unfair advantage.

Departmental assessment

4. As Permanent Secretary, Sir Matthew would have had access to significant amounts of privileged information, including unannounced changes in government policy. However, from the available information, there is no overlap between the work of his department and that of his proposed employer. The department did not highlight any specific information that would be a concern.

5. The Home Office confirmed that Sir Matthew was not involved in any regulatory, policy or commercial decisions specific to the Benefact Group.

6. The Home Office noted that the Benefact Group has retained the services of a registered consultant lobbyist.^[6]

7. The Home Office and the Cabinet Office recommendation on Sir Matthew’s appointment was for a three-month waiting period from his last day in post (now elapsed) and the standard conditions.

CSC analysis

8. Risk of reward. There is no known overlap between Sir Matthew’s role as Permanent Secretary and the Benefact Group. He did not meet with the organisation, nor was he involved in decisions specific to the Benefact Group. The Commission agreed with the department’s view that the risk that he was offered this role as a reward for decisions or actions taken in office was low.

9. Access to information. It is likely that as Permanent Secretary, Sir Matthew had access to a wide range of information that may benefit any organisation, including the Benefact Group. This risk is reduced by the time passed since leaving government service (over six months) and that the Home Office is unaware of any sensitive information he may possess that presents a risk.

10.Improper influence. There are risks associated with a former senior civil servant joining an organisation that may seek to influence government. Sir Matthew stated that his role will not involve contact with, or lobbying of, government. However, as an organisation with a lobbying arm, there is a perception risk that Sir Matthew may be involved in such activities. Sir Matthew and Benefact Group confirmed to the Commission of his intention to fully comply with the lobbying ban that applies to him. Benefact Group stated that ‘Sir Matthew’s duties are structurally separated from any lobbying activities’.

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^[1] See the Business appointment rules for Crown servants.

^[2] Meaning official information to which a civil servant has had access as a consequence of his or her office or employment and which has not been made publicly available.

^[3] As defined in the rules.

^[4] https://benefactgroup.com/

^[5] Strategy that is primarily centred on converting their commercial success into significant charitable impact, by donating all available profits to causes.

^[6] https://orcl.my.site.com/CLR_Client_Profile?Id=a084J00000F4gmdQAB