Political Updates 17 August 2020

Stay on top of latest political appointments – covering recent changes and moves at a national level in UK politics.

UK Government

George Edgar OBE has been appointed High Commissioner to Fiji in succession to Melanie Hopkins.

Jessica McBeath and Elizabeth Partyka have been appointed as members of the Ofcom Advisory Committee for Scotland.

Jill Young has been appointed as Lord Lieutenant for Dunbartonshire. She will succeed Rear Admiral Michael Gregory OBE who is due to retire on 15 December.

Jim Dixon and Perdita Hunt have been reappointed as members of the National Heritage Memorial Fund.

Jonathan Russell has been reappointed as the interim Chief Executive of the Valuation Office Agency.

Jo Rowland has been appointed as Director-General of the HMRC Covid-19 Response Unit.

Karl Khan has been named as Director-General of Customer Services at HMRC.

Nerys Jefford has been appointed as Deputy Chair of the Boundary Commission for Wales.

Peter Richard Lane has been appointed as Deputy Chair of the Boundary Commission for England.

Philip Brook Smith and Susan Humble have been appointed as members of the Tribunal Procedure Committee.

Richard Tilbrook has been appointed as the Prime Minister’s Appointments Secretary following the retirement of Edward Chaplin CMG OBE at the end of last year.

Roger Bland has been appointed as Chair of the Treasure Valuation Committee. Megan Gooch has been appointed as Trustee.

Judge Greg Sinfield has been appointed as a Senior Judicial Commissioner at the Judicial Commission.

Rt. Rev. Dr Barry Morgan has been appointed as the Lay Commissioner with responsibility for Welsh matters at the Judicial Commission.

Judge Christa Christensen as the Judicial (Tribunal Judge) Commissioner at the Judicial Commission.

Mathangi Asokan (District Judge), Judicial Commissioner at the Judicial Commission.

Emir Feisal (non-legal judicial), Judicial Commissioner at the Judicial Commission.

Jane Furniss, Lay Commissioner at the Judicial Commission.

Andrew Kennon, Lay Commissioner at the Judicial Commission.

Sir Simon Wessely, Lay Commissioner at the Judicial Commission.

House of Lords

David Frost entered the House of Lords on 12 August as Lord Frost.

Labour Party

Ruth Jones has been appointed as Shadow Minister for the Natural Environment and Air Quality.

Northern Ireland Executive

Catherine McCallum OBE, Norman McKinley and Theresa Donaldson have been appointed as lay members and have already taken up their roles. Dr Nazia Latif and Dr Thomas Moore have been appointed as lay members from 1 September.