Political Updates 8 June 2020

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

UK Government

David Duguid, MP for Banff and Buchan, has been appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland. He will continue in his role as a whip.

Iain Stewart, MP for Milton Keynes South, has been appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Scotland) in the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland. He will leave his role as a whip.

Revd Canon Dr Amanda Ford has been appointed Dean of Bristol, following the appointment of the Very Revd Dr David Hoyle MBE as Dean of Westminster.

Clive Dix has been appointed as Deputy Chair of the UK’s Vaccine Taskforce to help lead efforts to find and manufacture a coronavirus vaccine.

Rosamund Blomfield-Smith, Kim Shillinglaw, Kerry ten Kate and Peter Unwin have been appointed to the board of Natural England for three years, commencing 1 June 2020.

Ms Karen Maddocks has been appointed Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Montenegro in succession to Ms Alison Kemp.

Dr Clare Gardiner has been seconded to the role of Director General of the Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC) at the Department of Health and Social Care to take it through to full operating capability.

Alan Gemmell has been appointed HM Trade Commissioner for South Asia.

John Edwards has been appointed HM Trade Commissioner for China and Hong Kong.

Richard Burn has been temporarily appointed HM Trade Commissioner for Europe.

Sally Cheshire’s role as Interim Chair of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service has been extended until 31 March 2021.

Professor Judith Freedman CBE has been appointed to the board of the Office of Tax Simplification, in succession to Paul Johnson CBE.

Kayley Hignell has been appointed as a member of the Social Security Advisory Committee, Grainne McKeever re-appointed as a member for a second term and Jim McCormick’s current appointment extended to October 2020.

Andrew Miller has been appointed as non-executive director to the Board of Channel 4 and chair of the channel’s Audit Committee, for a term of three years.

House of Lords

The Lord Archbishop of York retired on 7 June.

Baroness Howe of Idlicote (Crossbench) retired on 2 June.

Lord Rhea (Labour) passed away on 1 June.

Lord Goldsmith and Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd have replaced Lord Jay of Ewelme and Lord Morris of Aberavon as members of the European Union Committee.

Lord Cormack has been appointed as a member of the EU Environment Sub-Committee.

Lord Rennard has replaced Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope as a member of the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee.

Northern Ireland Executive

Sheila McClelland (Chair), Mick McAteer (Deputy Chair), Noyona Chundur, Lynne Crowther, Sinead Furey and Joan Martin have been re-appointed to the Consumer Council for Northern Ireland for a further three years. June Butler, Gerry McCurdy and Alan O’Neill have been appointed as members for a three-year period.