Political Updates 5 May 2020

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

UK Government

Minister of State for Trade Conor Burns has resigned from his ministerial role after an investigation by the Committee on Standards found he had made ‘veiled threats’ to use parliamentary privilege in a debt dispute involving his father.

Marian Spain has been appointed as the new chief executive of Natural England.

Nickie Aiken, MP for Cities of London and Westminster, has been appointed as Parliamentary Private Secretary at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Richard Callander has been appointed Lord Lieutenant for Midlothian, succeeding Robert Clerk who retired on 3 April 2020.

Reverend Prebendary William Peter Guy Hazlewood will take over from the Right Reverend Richard Jackson to the Suffragan See of Lewes.

Reverend Ruth Kathleen Frances Bushyager will take over from the Right Reverend Mark Sowerby to the Suffragan See of Horsham.

Christine Tacon has been reappointed as Groceries Code Adjudicator.

Paul Winkle has been appointed as Chief Operating Officer of Magnox at the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

Brian Bannister, Jo Hill, Martin Narey and Terry Babbs appointed as Commissioners at the Gambling Commission.

Claire Bassett will step down as Director Chief Executive Designate of the Trade Remedies Authority on 31 August to take up a new position as Deputy Director General Operations in the Independent Office for Police Conduct, Home Office.

House of Lords

Lord Eatwell and Lord Turnberg were non-affiliated members and are now sitting as Labour.

Lord Mitchell was Crossbench and is now sitting as Labour.

Countess of Mar (Crossbench, hereditary peer) retired from the House of Lords on 1 May.

Lord Teverson has been appointed as Chair of the EU Environment Sub-Committee. Lord Baroness Brown of Cambridge, Baroness Bryan of Partick, Baroness Byford, Lord Cameron of Dillington, Lord Carter of Coles, Lord Giddens, Baroness Jolly, Baroness McIntosh of Pickering, Duke of Montrose, Earl of Stair and Lord Young of Norwood Green have been appointed as members.

Baroness Verma has been appointed as Chair of the EU Goods Sub-Committee. Lord Berkeley, Baroness Chalker of Wallasey, Lord Faulkner of Worcester, Baroness Kramer, Lord Lamont of Lerwick, Lord Lilley, Lord Russell of Liverpool, Lord Shipley, Lord Turnbull, Lord Wigley and Lord Wood of Anfield have been appointed as members.

Lord Goldsmith has been appointed as Chair of the EU International Agreements Sub-Committee. Lord Alderdice, Lord Fraser of Corriegarth, Lord Gold, Lord Kerr of Kinlochard, Lord Lansley, Baroness Liddell of Coatdyke, Lord Morris of Aberavon, Lord Oates, Lord Robathan, Earl of Sandwich and Lord Watts have been appointed as members.

Lord Ricketts has been appointed as Chair of the EU Security and Justice Sub-Committee. Lord Anderson of Ipswich, Lord Anderson of Swansea, Lord Arbuthnot of Edrom, Lord Dholakia, Baroness Finn, Baroness Goudie, Baroness Hamwee, Lord Kirkhope of Harrogate, Lord Lexden, Lord Polak, Baroness Primarolo and Lord Rowlands as members.

Baroness Donaghy has been appointed as Chair of the EU Services Sub-Committee. Lord Bruce of Bennachie, Lord Cavendish of Furness, Baroness Couttie, Lord Davies of Stamford, Lord McNally, Baroness Neville-Rolfe, Baroness Prashar, Lord Sharkey, Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, Viscount Trenchard and Lord Vaux of Harrowden have been appointed as members.

Scottish Government

Dr Nicola Steedman has been appointed as Interim Deputy Chief Medical Officer following the resignation of Dr Catherine Calderwood.

Scottish Parliament

Murdo Fraser has been appointed as Convener and Monica Lennon as Deputy Convener Covid-19 Committee.

Welsh Government

Gordon Brown has been appointed as part of an advisory group on Covid-19 recovery.

Northern Ireland Executive

Michael Wardlow has been re-appointed Chair of the Northern Ireland Police Fund. Alice O’Kane, Brenda Plummer, Colin Caughey and Jonathan Craig have been appointed as new Board Members at the Department of Justice.