Membership

Doug began his career in the British Army in 1984 as a private soldier. He served in the Army for 37 years. Over that time, he was stationed in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Germany, Cyprus and the United States, deploying frequently on operations. His final appointment was as the Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Military Strategy and Operations), an office he held from 2018 to 2021. He is currently the Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge and sits on the management board for the University’s Centre for Geopolitics. 

Doug was appointed Chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life on 12 December 2023 for a five-year term and was subsequently  appointed by the Prime Minister as the first Chair of the Ethics and Integrity Commission in October 2025.

Professor Gillian Peele is an Emeritus Fellow of Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford and an Emeritus Associate Professor of Politics in the University of Oxford where she taught politics from 1975 until 2016. She is the author of a number of works on British, American and comparative government including ‘Governing the UK,’ (2004) and (with David Hine) ‘The Regulation of Standards in British Public Life: Doing the Right Thing?’ (2016). From 2013 until 2019 she was  an independent member of the House of Lords Appointments Commission (HOLAC).

Professor Peele was appointed to the Committee on Standards in Public Life on 1 August 2021 for a five-year term and was subsequently appointed to the Ethics and Integrity Commission in October 2025.

Ewen Fergusson was a partner in the Finance Division at Herbert Smith Freehills,a global law firm, from 2000 to 2018. He was Head of their General Banking and Acquisition Finance team (2004-2015), and sat on the Partnership Nominations Committee (2013-15). During his time at Herbert Smith Freehills, Ewen ranked consistently as one of the City of London’s leading individual lawyers in his sector in the main independent directories. Currently he is a non-magistrate member of the Lord Chancellor’s advisory committee for South East England, and is also a co-producer on various film projects.

Ewen Fergusson was appointed to the Committee on Standards in Public Life on 1 August 2021 for a five-year term and was subsequently appointed to the Ethics and Integrity Commission in October 2025.

Lady Arden served as a Justice of the UK Supreme Court from October 2018 to January 2022. Prior to that she was a Judge of the High Court of Justice (1993 to 2000) and a Lady Justice of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales (2000 to 2018).

Lady Arden was also Chair of the Law Commission of England and Wales (1996-9), a member of the Steering Group for the DTI’s Company Law Review (1999-2001), Chair of the Judges’ Working Party on Constitutional Reform (2004-6), and Judge in Charge, then Head, of International Judicial Relations for England and Wales (2005 to 2018). She is a member of the UK’s National Group for nominating candidates for the International Court of Justice.

Lady Arden was appointed to the Committee on Standards in Public Life on 13 February 2023 for a five-year term and subsequently appointed to the Ethics and Integrity Commission in October 2025.

Ian Blackford was the Member of Parliament for Ross, Skye and Lochaber from 2015 to 2024, and Westminster Leader of the SNP Parliamentary group from 2017 to 2022.

Prior to entering Parliament, Ian spent nearly two decades in the city as a fund manager and  investment banker before establishing an investor relations consultancy business and acting as a non-executive director.

Ian Blackford was appointed to the Committee on Standards in Public Life on 26 June 2023 for a three-year term and was subsequently appointed to the Ethics and Integrity Commission in October 2025.

*Political members are appointed by the Prime Minister on the recommendation of the leaders of the three largest political parties in the House of Commons, Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrat. There is a vacancy for the Conservative membership. (The incumbent SNP Member joined the Committee on Standards in Public Life prior to the 2024 general election and the subsequent changes to the makeup of the House of Commons.)

Ruth has extensive local government experience, having been first elected as a councillor at the London Borough of Sutton in 2002. She was Leader of the Council from 2012 until 2024. During that time, she was one of the Vice Chairs of London Councils and one of the four political group leaders to lead the capital during the Covid pandemic.

During her term in office as a  Deputy Chair of the Local Government Association, Ruth was instrumental in promoting a programme which recognised the growing intimidation and harassment being experienced by local councillors and council leaders. This was developed into the LGA’s Civility in Public Life programme which articulates good standards for anyone engaging in public and political discourse.

Ruth was awarded an OBE for services to local government and the Freedom of the City of London in recognition of her work during the Covid pandemic.

Ruth was appointed to the Committee on Standards in Public Life on 15 November 2024 for a three-year term and subsequently appointed to the Ethics and Integrity Commission in October 2025.

Michael Tomlinson was the Member of Parliament for Mid Dorset and North Poole from 2015 to 2024. He served in various government positions, including in the Whips Office 2020-2022, as Solicitor General 2022-2023 and in the Home Office as Minister of State attending Cabinet 2023-2024. 

Before he was an MP, Michael was a barrister practising on the western circuit. He returned to his legal practice after leaving parliament, carrying out commercial and chancery work as well as public law, including arbitration and mediation. He is also a Poole Harbour Commissioner.

The Rt Hon Michael Tomlinson KC was appointed to the Ethics and Integrity Commission in December 2025 for a three year term.

Baroness Christine Crawley served as a local councillor from 1979 to 1982, and subsequently the Member of the European Parliament for Birmingham East from 1984 to 1999. She was appointed a Member of the House of Lords in 1998, and subsequently served as a House of Lords Government Whip from 2001 to 2009.

Prior to becoming an MEP, Baroness Crawley worked in primary and secondary education, running a local youth theatre.

The Baroness was appointed to the Ethics and Integrity Commission in July 2026 for a three-year term.

Reverend Ijeoma Ajibade is an Independent Ethics Advisor to the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Her extensive career includes serving as Chief of Staff to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Regional Director at the Mission to Seafarers, and Assembly Scrutiny Manager at the Greater London Authority.

She has managed complex governance, ethics, and policy portfolios across the public, voluntary, and faith-based sectors.

The Reverend’s five-year term on the Commission will commence in August 2026.

Dr Samuel Power is a Lecturer in Politics in the School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies at the University of Bristol. He specialises in political financing, electoral integrity and ethical standards.

As a Parliamentary Academic Fellow, he has provided expert advice and briefings to the House of Commons Library as a part of their Parliament and Constitution Centre. He has also consulted for the Committee on Standards in Public Life and numerous international bodies on political finance reform, anti-corruption and digital campaigning.

His five-year term on the Commission will commence in August 2026.

Nicola Driver is an Independent Complaints Assessor for the Department for Transport and an Ombudsman for the New Homes Ombudsman Service.

She has over fifteen years of experience in public sector accountability through her work with the Ethical Standards Commissioner, the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, and the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. Her expertise focuses on standards, governance, and independent administrative review.

Her five-year term on the Commission will commence in August 2026.

Dr Katerina Hadjimatheou is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology and Ethics at the University of Essex. She holds several independent advisory positions across the public and international sectors, providing ethical oversight to bodies including the Ministry of Defence and the Home Office.

She also advises Essex County Council, policing organisations, and the European Commission.

Her five-year term on the Commission will commence in August 2026.