Sir Grant Shapps, a former UK defence secretary, has resigned from his position as chairman of Cambridge Aerospace following an investigation into potential breaches of ministerial employment codes.

前英國國防大臣 Sir Grant Shapps 在被調查是否違反部長就職守則後，已辭去 Cambridge Aerospace 主席一職。

The controversy centers on the adherence to conditions established by the now-defunct Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba). In 2025, Acoba authorized Sir Grant's appointment to Cambridge Aerospace, provided he abstained from defence-related activities for a period of two years post-tenure. However, the subsequent procurement of a multi-million-pound government contract for 'Skyhammer' interceptor missiles by the firm prompted an inquiry by the ministerial ethics watchdog, Sir Laurie Magnus.

這次爭議的核心在於是否遵守已解散的商務任命諮詢委員會 (Acoba) 所制定的條件。2025年，Acoba 批准 Sir Grant 出任 Cambridge Aerospace 的職務，前提是他必須在離職後兩年內不參與任何與國防相關的活動。然而，隨後該公司獲得了一份價值數百萬英鎊的「Skyhammer」攔截飛彈政府合約，引發了部長倫理監察員 Sir Laurie Magnus 的調查。

Sir Laurie Magnus asserted that the operational scope of Cambridge Aerospace—which appeared to be exclusively defence-oriented—was irreconcilable with the restrictions imposed upon Sir Grant. The watchdog concluded that the former minister had failed to maintain expected standards and had permitted a perception of impropriety to manifest. While Sir Grant maintained that he had scrupulously adhered to the rules and functioned as a co-founder rather than a director or board chair, he acknowledged an 'oversight' in failing to seek updated guidance as the company's focus shifted toward military technology.

Sir Laurie Magnus 主張，Cambridge Aerospace 的營運範圍顯然完全以國防為導向，這與 Sir Grant 所受到的限制無法相容。監察員結論認為，這位前部長未能維持預期的標準，且導致外界產生不當行為的印象。雖然 Sir Grant 主張自己嚴格遵守規則，並是以共同創辦人而非董事或董事會主席的身份運作，但他承認在公司重心轉向軍事技術時，未能尋求更新的指引，是一項「疏忽」。

Stakeholder reactions have been characterized by calls for systemic reform. Labour MP Phil Brickell criticized the initial Acoba approval, suggesting that the company's civilian aerospace designation was incongruous with its self-description as a 'defence tech' entity. Mr. Brickell further argued that the transition of ministers into sectors they previously oversaw reinforces perceptions of improper leverage of insider knowledge, subsequently advocating for the implementation of more stringent sanctions for regulatory non-compliance.

利益相關者的反應則是以要求系統性改革為主。工黨議員 Phil Brickell 批評 Acoba 最初的批准，認為該公司被定類為民用航太，與其自稱為「國防科技」實體的描述不符。Brickell 先生進一步指出，部長轉任至其先前監督的部門，會強化外界認為其不正當利用內部消息的印象，因此主張對違反監管要求的行為實施更嚴厲的制裁。

Sir Grant Shapps has vacated his role to resolve the conflict, while political critics continue to demand more rigorous enforcement of post-ministerial employment rules.

Sir Grant Shapps 已卸任以解決衝突，而政治評論者則繼續要求更嚴格地執行部長離職後的就職規則。