Four 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 fortnight we put up links to some of the main public appointments vacancies, so that qualified Conservatives might be aware of the opportunities presented.
– – – – – – – – – –
The Office for Students – Chief Executive
“The Chief Executive is a full time executive role at the forefront of the Government’s Higher Education reform agenda. The Chief Executive will both lead the creation of the OfS in the run up to its legal establishment in April 2018, and lead the operational work of the OfS in its first years of existence. This role will be integral to the success of this new organisation, having responsibility for a multi-faceted organisation with a substantial budget.”
Time: Full time.
Remuneration: £200,000 per annum, plus benefits.
Closes: 13 February
– – – – – – – – – –
Nuclear Liabilities Fund – Chair or Trustee
“The Nuclear Liabilities Fund (NLF) is a Scottish registered company and Trust investing assets to meet the costs of decommissioning the UK’s eight operational nuclear power stations, which are owned by EDF. The NLF currently holds assets of circa £9 billion, of which £7.4 billion is held in the National Loans Fund, the Government lending account. A further £1.6 billion is actively managed by the NLF trustees, predominantly in UK asset classes, such as infrastructure and property.”
Time: 2.5-4 days per month.
Remuneration: £28,500-£31,200 per annum.
Closes: 22 February
– – – – – – – – – –
UK Sport – Chair
“The Chair will lead UK Sport during a time of increased competitive and economic challenges, when the organisation looks to deliver its ambitious high performance strategy through to Tokyo 2020. They will have a passion and commitment to delivering UK sporting success on the world stage. They will also have a strong understanding of non-executive leadership, delivering results within a performance-focussed organisation. The Chair will demonstrate a strategic and collegiate approach to objective setting and decision taking with the ability to facilitate focussed and relevant discussions.”
Time: Two days per week on average.
Remuneration: £40,000 per annum.
Closes: 24 February
– – – – – – – – – –
Crown Prosecution Service – Non-Executive Director
“Whilst we would like one of our new non-executives to have commercial legal experience we are open minded on the professional backgrounds of the others. What all will have in common is a proven senior leadership track record in complex, high performing organisations. You’ll have extensive experience of partnership working as well as knowing how to lead and motivate highly skilled teams… The role of the non-executive members is to provide external perspective, challenge and advice on matters referred to the Board. They play an active role in ensuring that the CPS is an effective and efficient organisation and contribute to the Board’s strategy development, corporate assurance and governance objectives.”
Time: Up to 20 days per annum.
Remuneration: £13,040 per annum, plus travel and subsistence.
Closes: 27 February
– – – – – – – – – –
Food Standards Agency – Deputy Chair and Non-Executive Members
“This is an exciting and challenging time for the FSA. They have won recognition for restoring the trust of UK consumers in the way food safety is regulated, and have an ambitious Strategy for 2015 to 2020 to fulfil their vision of food we can trust and to continue to put consumers first in everything we do. Regrettably, ‘food we can trust’ is not a done deal. There are about 1 million foodborne illnesses within the UK each year with around 6,500 hospitalisations. The non-executive Board is ultimately accountable for the delivery of this Strategy.”
Time: Either 44 or 30 days per annum.
Remuneration: £17,474 or £10,772 per annum.
Closes: 27 February
– – – – – – – – – –
Department of Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy – Small Business Commissioner
“We are seeking to appoint the UK’s first Small Business Commissioner. This is a new statutory role covering the UK and established under provisions within the Enterprise Act 2016. The Small Business Commissioner will enable small businesses to resolve payment disputes with their larger customers and avoid future issues by encouraging a culture change in how businesses deal with each other. They will provide general advice and guidance to small businesses to prevent disputes occurring in the first place, direct them to existing support and help them resolve their complaints about payment issues.”
Time: Full-time.
Remuneration: £120,000-£130,000 per annum.
Closes: 13 March
– – – – – – – – – –
UK Research & Innovation – Board Members
“The UKRI Board will be expected to support the set-up of the organisation, providing clear strategic direction and oversight, promoting the importance of UK Research and Innovation and supporting the senior leadership team of the organisation to embed new ways of working across UKRI… As well as the above requirements which would be expected for all UKRI Board Members, there are specific roles on the Board that will require additional expertise, and a larger time commitment to UKRI.”
Time: 20 days per annum.
Remuneration: £9,180 per annum, plus £459 per diem for extra days.
Closes: 31 March