The new home secretary, Priti Patel, is facing allegations of breaching the ministerial code for the second time in her parliamentary career for accepting a lucrative position with a global communications firm before receiving the all-clear from an anti-corruption watchdog.

Patel has been working for Viasat, a California-based company with a UK base in Farnborough, for the past three months as a strategic adviser on a salary of £5,000 a month for five hours’ work – or £1,000 an hour.

The ministerial code states former ministers must seek guidance from the advisory committee on business appointments (Acoba) on taking up any business appointments within two years of leaving the role – and must not take up the position until advice has been received.

Patel did not approach Acoba to seek advice on the Viasat appointment until June 2019 – a month after she had started the role, in which she was advising on unspecified matters relating to India. She did not receive any guidance from the committee until earlier this month, by which time she had already earned £10,000.

Patel has been approached for comment by the Guardian.

The Essex MP was forced to resign from the cabinet in November 2017 as international development secretary when she was accused of breaching the ministerial code over unauthorised meetings with Israeli politicians. Patel conceded in her resignation letter that her actions fell below standards of transparency and openness required.

Jon Trickett, the shadow minister for the Cabinet Office, has written to the new prime minister, Boris Johnson, calling for an investigation into whether Patel has broken the ministerial code, and has called for her dismissal if this is found to be the case. Johnson himself has breached the code in the past; when he resumed writing for the Telegraph after resigning as foreign secretary he failed to declare the role with Acoba.

Trickett said: “Very few people will be surprised that Boris Johnson’s cabinet is embroiled in scandal less than 48 hours after being appointed, yet it is still deeply worrying.

“It is an early sign that Johnson’s hard-right government will have little regard for the standards expected of ministers, by the ministerial code and by the public.

“When she resigned in 2017, Patel spoke of her failure to uphold the necessary ‘standards of transparency and openness’. It appears she has done so again.

“Clearly Patel does not think the rules apply to her, and the same could be said of many others in Johnson’s cabinet. Johnson must immediately sanction an investigation to confirm whether Patel has yet again broken the code, and reassure the public that his government will not tolerate those that disregard it so lightly.

“I have written to the prime minister to ensure that this course of action is taken immediately.”

Acoba approved the appointment but with strict conditions. The committee said given her seniority and profile as a secretary of state there was a risk that it could be perceived Patel’s contacts “might assist Viasat unfairly”.

As a result, Acoba said Patel could take up the appointment but should not draw on any privileged information available from her time as international development secretary, should not lobby the UK government on behalf of Viasat and should not provide provide advice on any contracts with the UK government.

Viasat provides products and services to the Ministry of Defence. It also works with the UK Space Agency, an executive agency sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Section 7.25 of the code states that ministers “must … seek advice from the independent advisory committee on business appointments (Acoba) about any appointments or employment they wish to take up within two years of leaving office.”

This section of the code also states that “former ministers must ensure that no new appointments are announced, or taken up, before the committee has been able to provide its advice”.





