Political Updates 16 October 2019

This week’s Political Updates covers moves and changes at all levels of government. 

UK Government

Mr Jon Lambe has been appointed the United Kingdom Ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Jakarta.

Colin Bloom has been appointed as Faith Engagement Adviser at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Simon Hayes has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of HM Land Registry
Biometrics and Forensics Ethics Group appoints new members:

Dr Nóra Ni Loideain – Director of the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London

Dr Richard Guest – Reader in Biometrics Systems Engineering and Deputy Head of the School of Engineering and Digital Arts, University of Kent

Professor Charles Rabb – Turing Fellow at the University of Edinburgh

Dr Julian Huppert – Director and Fellow at the Intellectual Forum, Jesus College Cambridge.
The Prime Minister has approved the reappointment of Dr David Halpern as the What Works National Adviser.

Julia Grant has been reappointed as a board member for a second three-year term as Forestry Commissioner.

Mark Watson-Gandy named as new chair of the Biometrics and Forensics Ethics Group.

The Office for Disability Issues has announced the appointment of chairs to lead 9 new Regional Stakeholder Networks.

The Network chairs are:

East of England: Naomi Tomkys OBE, CEO, Sky Badger

Greater London: Ruth Owen OBE, CEO, Whizz-Kidz

North East: Michael Potts, Board Member, Veterans Advisory and Pension Committee

North West: Lynne Turnbull, CEO, Cheshire Centre for Independent Living

South East: Barry Ginley, Director, Tamstone Consulting Ltd

South West: Samantha Everard, CEO, Support and Mentoring Enabling Entrepreneurship (SAMEE)

West and East Midlands: Louise Mckiernan, CEO, Birmingham Disability Resource Centre

Yorkshire and the Humber: Liz Leach Murphy, Founder/Managing Director, Imagineer CIC

Paul Uppal has stepped down from his role as Small Business Commissioner.

Scottish Parliament 

Laura Dunlop QC appointed as New President of Mental Health Tribunal.

National Assembly for Wales 

Appointment of two Independent Members of the Board of Community Health Councils:

Sarah Finnegan-Dehn has been appointed from 01 October 2019 and Meri Huws will be appointed from 01 April 2020.

Sir David Henshaw confirmed as chair of Natural Resources Wales

House of Commons

Peter Blausten appointed as new lay member for SCIPSA (Speaker’s Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority).

Liberal Democrats

Former Tory MP Heidi Allen joins Liberal Democrats. She had been sitting as an Independent and was elected as Conservative.

Labour Party

The Labour Party has selected Jessie Joe Jacobs, as its candidate who will run for Tees Valley Mayor next year.

European Parliament

This week, the European Parliament is in plenary session in Brussels.