Gordon Downey

{{Short description|British ombudsman (1928–2022)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{For|the Canadian musician|Gordon Downie}}

Sir Gordon Stanley Downey {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|KCB}} (26 April 1928 – 12 April 2022){{cite web|title=Birthday's today|url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/archive/2012-4-26.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120426125827/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/archive/2012-4-26.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= 26 April 2012 |publisher=The Telegraph|access-date=22 April 2014|date=26 April 2012|quote=Sir Gordon Downey, Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, 1995–98, 84 }} was Britain's first Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/196466.stm|title=Talking Politics – Neil Hamilton - A chronology|date=19 October 1998|publisher=BBC News|access-date=24 August 2010}}{{cite web|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200102/cmselect/cmcomm/598/59802.htm|title=Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards: Nomination of Candidate|year=2002|publisher=House of Commons|access-date=24 August 2010|archive-date=14 October 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101014015440/http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200102/cmselect/cmcomm/598/59802.htm|url-status=live}}

The Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards was set up by the House of Commons of the United Kingdom in 1995 as a result of recommendations made by the Committee on Standards in Public Life. He resigned shortly after Trial by Conspiracy by J Boyd Hunt was published in 1998, casting doubt on his report about Neil Hamilton and the cash-for-questions affair.

Downey was previously chairman of the investors' "watchdog", the Personal Investment Authority.{{cite news | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/flawed-pia-nears-moment-of-truth-former-chairman-sir-gordon-downey-argues-that-a-new-agency-would-be-preferable-to-the-twotier-approach-1435673.html | title=Flawed PIA nears moment of truth: Former chairman Sir Gordon Downey argues that a new agency would be preferable to the two-tier approach | publisher=www.independent.co.uk | work=The Independent | date=13 May 1994 | access-date=24 August 2010 | author=Downey, Gordon | archive-date=8 November 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108213625/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/flawed-pia-nears-moment-of-truth-former-chairman-sir-gordon-downey-argues-that-a-new-agency-would-be-preferable-to-the-twotier-approach-1435673.html | url-status=live }}

Downey died on 12 April 2022, at the age of 93.{{cite web |title=Sir Gordon Downey obituary |url=https://www.thetimes.com/business-money/economics/article/sir-gordon-downey-obituary-rwd3czhc6 | url-access=registration |website=The Times |access-date=22 April 2022 |date=21 April 2022}}