David Hencke's 1994 investigation reshaped UK political ethics—the principles still hold

Guardian Westminster correspondent David Hencke died 27 June 2026 at 79. His October 1994 exposé of MPs accepting fees to table parliamentary questions for private interests triggered the establishment of the Nolan Committee. Its seven foundational principles of public conduct remain the ethical framework governing UK officeholders three decades later, demonstrating journalism's capacity to reshape institutional accountability.