Five years ago, the TaxPayers’ Alliance reported that “in the last year, five times more Labour people were appointed to public bodies than Tories”.
Since then, the figures have varied, and some Conservative members or supporters have been selected to fill important posts.
Nonetheless, it remains the case that, since it took office in 2010, our Party has punched beneath its weight when it comes to public appointments. One of the reasons seems to be that Tories simply don’t apply in the same number as Labour supporters.
To help remedy this, every week we put up links to some of the main public appointments vacancies, so that qualified Conservatives might be aware of the opportunities presented.
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Health Education England – Chair
“East West Railway Company is a new and exciting opportunity to be at the forefront of the changing landscape of the rail industry, delivering substantial fast-paced improvement to modernise the railway. East West Rail is a proposed new rail link between Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford, Cambridge and potentially beyond. As part of the wider plans for this strategically important corridor, it is one of the most high profile infrastructure projects in the UK today. The new railway will improve local connectivity and serve as a catalyst for economic development and the creation of new housing, as well as significantly reducing existing journey times. In the 2017 Budget, it was announced that the East West Railway Company would be established to bring new drive and focus to the project.”
Time: 2-3 days per week.
Remuneration: £63,000 per annum.
Closes: 28 August
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British Hallmarking Council – Council Members
“The British Hallmarking Council (BHC) is a regulator responsible for supervising hallmarking in the United Kingdom. It is an executive non-departmental public body of BEIS. The BHC was established under the Hallmarking Act 1973 to protect consumers, including businesses acting as consumers. It ensures that there are adequate facilities for hallmarking in the UK and advises the Secretary of State for BEIS on hallmarking matters and hallmarking legislation. The BHC supervises the hallmarking activities of the four UK assay offices (London, Birmingham, Sheffield and Edinburgh) and the UK’s hallmarking system, guaranteeing the purity of precious metals to protect the consumer and the trade.”
Time: Up to three meetings per annum.
Remuneration: “Travel, subsistence, and other reasonable expenses”.
Closes: 02 September
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Civil Aviation Authority – Non-Executive Members
“The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is the UK’s specialist independent aviation regulator and is a public corporation. It is our responsibility to safeguard aviation safety and security, manage UK airspace, oversee economic regulation of some airports and air traffic control, enforce consumer protection rules, and, to manage the ATOL financial protection scheme for holidaymakers. Do you have board experience and seek a Non-Executive role in a public corporation? The Secretary of State for Transport is seeking two Non-Executive Members, on a four-year term, to join the Board of the CAA. Your role would be to provide independent and constructive challenge to the CAA’s executive team and help ensure the CAA delivers its strategic objectives.”
Time: 2-3 days per week.
Remuneration: £22,000 per annum.
Closes: 05 September
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UK Space Agency – Chair of the Steering Board
“The UK Space Agency is an Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). The Agency’s responsibilities include policy and delivery of UK Government’s civil space requirements; working with the European Space Agency and other international organisations; agreeing with UK industry how to maximise the benefits of space technologies; working with the scientific community to provide a clear voice on decisions that affect the sector and encouraging young people to study STEM subjects. The Steering Board provides support and challenge to the Executive team. The role of the Steering Board is to advise the CEO and Ministers on the Agency’s strategies, operation and performance. The Steering Board currently consists of four independent members, including the Chair, UKSA’s CEO and Senior Information Risk Owner and a Deputy Director representing BEIS.”
Time: 24 days per annum.
Remuneration: Up to £10,000.
Closes: 10 September
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NHS Counter-Fraud Authority – Non-Executive Director
“As a Non-Executive Director of the NHS Counter Fraud Authority (NHSCFA), you will be responsible for ensuring the sound governance of the NHSCFA, including ensuring robust and effective systems of financial control and risk management are in place. Along with the Non-Executive team, you will contribute to the development of the strategy and annual objectives to be approved by the Secretary of State. You will also ensure that the NHSCFA promotes the values of the NHS by setting a high standard for ethics and responsible business, and by building, maintaining and enhancing NHSCFA’s reputation as an open and independent body that places a high priority upon the safety of patients and staff.”
Time: 2-3 days per month.
Remuneration: £7,883/£13,127 per annum.
Closes: 10 September
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Oil & Gas Authority – Chair
“You will lead the OGA Board as it regulates and promotes the UK oil and gas industry and your responsibilities will include: effective, cooperative and inclusive leadership of the Board that will provide sound strategic direction. This includes enabling a high standard of discussion, helping to steer the OGA by collaborative working across Government and industry, ensuring that systems are in place to provide Board members and the Executive team with the support they need to carry out their roles; working with the Board and Nominations Committee to ensure that the Board and Executive team have an appropriate and diverse range of skills, experience, and outlook; offer support and counsel to the Executive team while providing constructive challenge on the delivery of the OGA Plan…”
Time: Two days per week.
Remuneration: £200,000 per annum pro rata plus expenses.
Closes: 12 September
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Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government – Lead Non-Executive Director
“The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is at the heart of the Prime Minister’s objective of making the UK a country that works for everyone. Our objective is to help create great places to live and work right across the country and to back communities to come together and thrive. A key task is to transform the housing market to deliver 300,000 net additional homes a year on average by the mid 2020s. The Department has 1700 people in London and 16 other towns and cities across England; 11 Arm’s Length Bodies delivering key areas of our agenda on the ground; capital budgets of £9.3 billion in 2018-19, and is responsible for the financial framework for local government worth £45 billion a year in local government spending. To support our work, we are seeking a Lead Non-Executive Director with significant experience of leading complex delivery focused organisations, ideally with expertise in infrastructure, housing or a related sector.”
Time: Three days per month.
Remuneration: £20,000 per annum.
Closes: 16 September
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Royal Armouries – Chair
“The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is seeking to appoint an outstanding individual as the next chair of the Royal Armouries, to take the Museum forward as this new critical period in its history. The ideal candidate will have a passion for cultural heritage, a commitment to public service, strong commercial acumen and a successful track record in public service, heritage management, or business. This is a very exciting time for the Royal Armouries, having substantially increased its commercial operations, and now in the process of devising a masterplan to transform the museum brand and its offer at the main museum site in Leeds. The successful candidate will be central to taking the Royal Armouries forward and putting it on a long-term sustainable footing, including through playing a key part in raising funds for the museum’s ambitious plans and programme.”
Time: Four days per month approx.
Remuneration: None.
Closes: 17 September
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Natural England – Chair
“The Government has set out a clear ambition, in our 25 year plan for the environment launched earlier this year to be the first generation that leaves the environment in a better state than we found it. Natural England has a vital role to play in helping achieve this objective; through its responsibility to protect and enhance the natural environment. It is responsible for licensing, incentivising and advising on conservation on land and in the marine environment. Natural England is working with Defra and other delivery partners on EU exit – to secure the opportunity to develop a better approach to protecting and enhancing the natural environment and our farming and fishing industries and to ensure that new policies are implemented effectively. I am looking for an ambitious new Chair for Natural England; a strong and visible leader who is passionate about the environment, has the ability to lead a substantial operational delivery organisation effectively and efficiently with a customer focus, and can respond to new opportunities and priorities and drive change and innovation.”
Time: Two days per week.
Remuneration: £546 per diem.
Closes: 20 September
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Office of the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner – Commissioner
“The role of the role of Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner (IASC) was established by the Modern Slavery Act 2015. The IASC has a UK-wide remit to encourage good practice in the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of modern slavery offences and the identification of victims. The role was created to spearhead the UK’s fight against modern slavery. Key responsibilities: to work closely with key Government delivery partners to drive a strengthened strategic response in their work to tackle modern slavery and the provision of appropriate support for victims; build positive relationships with and amongst the modern slavery leadership community, including Devolved Administrations, business, academia, civil society, international partners (as well as directly with victims of modern slavery) and facilitate the sharing of good practice in tackling modern slavery…”
Time: Full time.
Remuneration: £108,000-140,000 per annum.
Closes: 26 September