Political Updates 6 April 2020

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

UK Government

HM Treasury has announced that Bernadette Conroy’s term as Non-Executive Director to the FCA Board will commence on 6 April 2020.

The Queen is pleased to appoint Mr Alexander Philip Manson DL as Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant for Aberdeenshire.

Ken McCallum has been appointed as successor to Sir Andrew Parker as the head of MI5.

Alex Chisholm has been announced as the new Permanent Secretary at the Cabinet Office and Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service.

The Cabinet Secretary, with the approval of the Prime Minister, has approved the appointment of Jeremy Pocklington as the new Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).

Ian Cheshire has stood down as Lead Non-Executive Director for the Cabinet Office.

Paul Darling has been appointed as Chair of the Horserace Betting Levy Board and Anne Lambert has been appointed as a member.

Silvana Tenreyro has been reappointed as an external member of the Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee.

Martin Steele has been named as the acting Chief Executive of the NHS Property Services.

House of Lords

Lord Brookman (Labour, life peer) retired on 2 April.

Lord Gordon of Strathblane (Labour, life peer) died on 31 March.

Scottish Government 

Dr Catherine Calderwood, the Chief Medical Officer, has resigned from the Scottish Government.

Scottish Parliament

Lewis Macdonald has been elected as an additional Deputy Presiding Officer for the duration of the public response to the novel coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic.

Northern Ireland Assembly

Andrew Muir has replaced Trevor Lunn as a member of the Public Accounts Committee.

Keith Buchanan, John O’Dowd, Dolores Kelly, Robbie Butler, Kellie Armstrong and Clare Bailey have been appointed as members of the Ad Hoc Committee on the COVID-19 response.

Labour Party

Keir Starmer has been elected as Leader of the Labour Party, and Angela Rayner has been elected as Deputy Leader.

Anneliese Dodds has been appointed Shadow Chancellor, replacing John McDonnell.

Nick Thomas-Symonds has been appointed Shadow Home Secretary, replacing Diane Abbott.

Lisa Nandy has been appointed Shadow Foreign Secretary, replacing Emily Thornberry.

Rachel Reeves has been appointed Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, replacing Jon Trickett.

Barry Gardiner is no longer Secretary of State for International Trade.

Ian Lavery is no longer Chair of the Labour Party, Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office or Shadow Minister for Trade Unions.

Jon Trickett is no longer Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office.

Richard Burgon is no longer Shadow Secretary of State for Justice.

Andrew Gwynne is no longer Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

Christina Rees is no longer Shadow Secretary of State for Wales.