Overview

• Letters published on Oct. 9 confirm Rishi Sunak has taken part-time senior adviser posts with Microsoft and Anthropic.
• The roles are internally focused on strategic perspectives in macroeconomics and geopolitics, with no advice on UK policy matters.
• Restrictions include a ban on lobbying or using Whitehall contacts for a set period and a bar on advising Microsoft on UK government work or contracts.
• Sunak will donate all compensation from both roles to the Richmond Project, the numeracy charity he founded with Akshata Murty.
• Acoba and the Cabinet Office say there is no evidence decisions in office were taken to secure these roles, though Acoba notes concerns over perceived access given Microsoft’s large UK government contracts.