Peter Riddell is the preferred candidate for OCPA

The Minister for the Cabinet Office has today announced Peter Riddell is the government’s preferred candidate for the role of Commissioner for Public Appointments. Peter is currently the Director of the Institute for Government (IFG) and was previously a journalist and political commentator for 40 years. He has been a regular broadcaster, has written 7 books and delivered frequent lectures. Peter also chaired the Hansard Society, a non-partisan charity which promotes understanding of Parliament and representative democracy, for 5 years until mid-2012. The next step is for Peter to attend a pre-appointment hearing with the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) on Monday 21 March.

The recommendation follows a fair and open recruitment exercise carried out in line with the principles of the Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies, published by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. The current Commissioner, Sir David Normington, has held the post since 2011 and will step down at the end of March. The new Commissioner will have an important role in helping to implement Sir Gerry Grimstone’s review of public appointments.