Political Updates 30 June 2020

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

UK Government

David Frost has been appointed to the role of the Prime Minister’s National Security Adviser. He is currently the Prime Minister’s Europe Adviser and the UK’s Chief Negotiator. He will succeed Sir Mark Sedwill who has served as National Security Adviser since April 2017.

Countess Howe has been appointed Lord-Lieutenant of the County of Buckinghamshire.

Sir Simon McDonald will stand down as Permanent Secretary and Head of the Diplomatic Service in autumn 2020.

Tiffany Sadler has been appointed Ambassador to Slovenia from September 2020.

Professor Brian Bell has been appointed as Chair of the Migration Advisory Committee from 1 July for three years.

Nikhil Rathi has been appointed Chief Executive of the Financial Conduct Authority for a five-year term.

Nick Ephgrave has been appointed policing member of the Sentencing Council for England and Wales, for a period of three years from 26 June 2020.

Diane Corner OBE has been appointed Her Majesty’s Consul-General to Jerusalem in succession to Philip Hall OBE. She will take up her role in Spring 2021.

New directors have been appointed to the UK Atomic Energy Authority’s (UKAEA) executive team. Dr. Andrew Kirk has been appointed the new Director of Tokamak Science and MAST Upgrade; Dr. Amanda Quadling will become UKAEA’s new Director of Materials; Steve Wheeler has been appointed as UKAEA’s Director of Fusion Technology; and Paul Methven is the new Director for STEP – UKAEA’s programme to develop a UK compact fusion powerplant.

Professor Brian Bell has been appointed chair of the Migration Advisory Committee.

House of Commons

Angela Eagle, Clive Efford, Derek Twigg, Esther McVey, Julie Elliott, Nusrat Ghani, Peter Dowd, Rupa Huq, Rushanara Ali, Sheryll Murray and Yvonne Fovargue have joined the Panel of Chairs.

Iain Stewart has been discharged from the Selection Committee. James Morris has been added.

Northern Ireland Assembly

Linda Dillon has been appointed as Chair of the Procedures Committee.

Labour Party

Rebecca Long-Bailey has been sacked from her role as Shadow Secretary of State for Education. She has been replaced by Kate Green, MP for Stretford and Urmston.