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.

Baroness (Margaret) Beckett was first elected as Labour MP for Derby South in 1983. She was Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 1997-1998, President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons 1998-2001, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 2001-2006, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs 2006-2007, and Minister for Housing and Planning 2008-2009. She has also been Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee, a member of the Labour National Executive Committee, and a former Chair of the Joint Committee on National Security Strategy.

The Rt Hon Baroness Beckett GBE has served on  the Committee on Standards in Public Life since November 2010. She was reappointed to CSPL in November 2022 for a three-year term and 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.