Political Updates 8 April 2019

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

  UK Government

The Prime Minister has appointed six new ministers to replace the recent departures from her Government. Those appointed are as follows:

• Justin Tomlinson MP – Minister of State at the Department for Work and Pensions
• James Cleverly MP – Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Exiting the European Union
• Seema Kennedy MP – Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Care
• Andrew Stephenson MP – Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
• Will Quince MP – Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Work and Pensions

• Kevin Foster MP – Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Wales Office and Assistant Government Whip. He will also be a Parliamentary Secretary at the Cabinet Office while Chloe Smith MP is on maternity leave.

Nigel Adams MP has resigned as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Wales Office and Assistant Government Whip (more info).

Chris Heaton-Harris MP has resigned as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Exiting the European Union (more info).

Michael Wood has been appointed as Trustee for the Historic Royal Palaces for a three year term starting 11th March 2019 (more info).

Carole Souter has been reappointed as Trustee on the Historic Royal Palaces Board for a second term of three years from 1 May 2019 (more info).

Ian McCaig has been reappointed as a Board Member of the British Tourist Authority for a second term of four years from 13 February 2019 (more info).

The Prime Minister has appointed four new trustees to the Victoria and Albert Museum Board. Genevieve Davies, Jonathan Anderson and Marc St John have been appointed for four years from 4 February 2019, David Bomford has been appointed for four years from 1 April 2019 (more info).

Mr John Pearson has been appointed Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Mr Pearson will take up his appointment in August 2019 (more info).

Mr Martin Reynolds CMG has been appointed Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Libya. Mr Reynolds will take up his appointment in April 2019 (more info).

Mrs Sarah Hulton OBE has been appointed British High Commissioner to the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. Mrs Hulton will take up her appointment during August 2019 (more info).

Roderick Drummond has been appointed Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain. Mr Drummond will take up his appointment in August 2019 (more info).

Professor Keith Bell has been appointed to the Committee on Climate Change (CCC). Professor Bell takes up position of power sector specialist on the Committee for a 5-year term (more info).

The Prime Minister has appointed three new trustees to the board of the British Museum. Dame Vivian Hunt and George Weston have been appointed for four years from 25 March 2019, Philipp Hildebrand has been appointed for four years from 1 August 2019 (more info).

The Rt Hon Dame Victoria Sharp DBE has been appointed by Her Majesty The Queen as the President of the Queen’s Bench Division from 23 June 2019 (more info).

Grayson Perry has been reappointed as Trustee on the British Museum Board for a second term of 4 years from 2 April 2019 (more info).

Justin Russell has been appointed as Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Probation for a tenure of 3 years commencing on 1st June (more info).

John McQuater has been appointed as the Lay and Consumer Advice member on the Civil Procedure Rule Committee 5 April 2019 to 4 April 2022 (more info).

Diana Fawcett has been appointed as a non-judicial member of the Sentencing Council with specific responsibility for promoting the welfare of victims of crime, for a tenure of three years from 5 April 2019. (more info).

Lynda McMullan has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer at Homes England (more info).

Amy Casterton has been appointed as Chief of Staff at Homes England (more info).

Andrea Bishop has been appointed as Assistant Chief Constable at the Ministry of Defence Police (more info).

Mr Kenneth Henning MBE has been reappointed as Non-Executive Lay Member to the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) (more info).

The Department of Health have appointed Mr Patrick Farry as a Non-Executive Finance Member, and Mr Paul Douglas and Mr Alan Hanna as Non-Executive Lay Members to the Patient and Client Council. They will begin their roles on 1 April 2019 (more info).

House of Commons

Ruth Jones MP was elected as the Labour MP for Newport West, winning the by-election on 4 April by 1,951 votes (more info).

Nick Boles MP has resigned the Conservative Whip and will now sit as an Independent Progressive Conservative (more info).

Paul Masterton MP has replaced Kirstene Hair MP as a member of the Scottish Affairs Committee (more info).

This week, the European Parliament is in Brussels for Committee and Group meetings.