Sunak takes part-time advisory roles at Microsoft and Anthropic

Former prime minister Rishi Sunak has taken part-time senior adviser roles at U.S. technology firm Microsoft and artificial intelligence startup Anthropic, an appointments advisory body said on Thursday, and has been told he must not lobby the UK government on the companies' behalf. Sunak said he will donate his remuneration from the posts to a numeracy charity he set up with his wife.

The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, known as ACOBA, said the roles will involve providing high-level strategic perspectives on macroeconomic and geopolitical trends and how they intersect with innovation, regulation and digital transformation, and speaking at company events. ACOBA advised that Sunak must not advise on UK policy matters or use his former Whitehall contacts in the course of the work. The body added that he should not provide advice to or on behalf of Microsoft on government work or its contracts until later next year.

Sunak told ACOBA he would not personally financially benefit and that the proceeds from the roles will be donated in full to The Richmond Project, the numeracy skills charity he co-founded, according to his public statement. Anthropic described the...