Former Defence Secretary Resigns as Cambridge Aerospace Chairman

Sir Grant Shapps, the former Secretary of State for Defence, has resigned from his position as chairman of Cambridge Aerospace.

The resignation follows a probe by the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards. The scrutiny was triggered by the announcement on April 10, 2026, that the UK government had awarded a contract to Cambridge Aerospace for the supply of launchers and interceptor missiles.

Shapps left his role as Secretary of State for Defence on July 5, 2024. Under the Business Appointment Rules, former ministers are subject to specific restrictions for a period of two years after leaving ministerial office, meaning the rules applied to Shapps until July 5, 2026.

These rules are intended to ensure there is no cause for any suspicion of impropriety, as stated in the Ministerial Code issued in December 2022. The Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards operates under terms of reference previously followed by the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments to address potential or perceived impropriety arising from new appointments.

Shapps officially resigned from his chairmanship at Cambridge Aerospace on April 30. In a letter to the Independent Adviser, Shapps explained that the decision was made because there had been a greater-than-anticipated focus on the role.

The former minister further stated that he stepped down to simplify matters.

The correspondence from the Independent Adviser on May 19, 2026, confirmed that the adviser’s role is to guide former ministers on the application of the Business Appointment Rules to avoid conflicts of interest or the appearance of influence following their time in government.