Press release: Prime Minister appoints new Independent Members to the House of Lords Appointments Commission

The Prime Minister has confirmed the appointments of Lord Chartres (Richard), Fionnuala Jay-O’Boyle and Charles Moore as Independent Members of the House of Lords Appointments Commission (HOLAC) from 1 June 2019.

The appointments follow an open recruitment exercise.

Rt Rev and Rt Hon Lord Richard Chartres KCVO

Lord Chartres is a Crossbench Peer and Dean of Her Majesty’s Chapels Royal. He is the former Bishop of London and held a number of wider roles during that time, including as Chair of the Board of Governors of the Church Commissioners.

The Lord-Lieutenant of Belfast, Mrs Fionnuala Jay-O’Boyle CBE DL

Mrs Jay-O’Boyle is the current Lord Lieutenant of the County Borough of Belfast, a member of the Advisory Board to Hillsborough Castle, and the Vice-Chair of Northern Ireland Opera. She has been involved in public and voluntary service for many years.

Charles Moore

Mr Moore is the Group Consulting Editor for the Telegraph Group, and a weekly columnist for The Daily Telegraph and The Spectator. He was previously editor of the Spectator, the Sunday Telegraph and the Daily Telegraph; and is the authorised biographer of Margaret Thatcher.

The Minister for the Constitution, Kevin Foster, welcomed the new Members’ appointments, and thanked their predecessors:

Lord Chartres, Mrs Jay-O’Boyle and Mr Moore have demonstrated their commitment to ensuring that the House of Lords reflects the people it represents, and to acting in accordance with the seven principles of public life. I am also grateful to Lord Low of Dalston, Professor Gillian Peele and Sir Malcolm Ross for their service to the Commission.

HOLAC has two main functions:

  • to recommend individuals for appointment as non-party political life peers; and to vet nominations for life peers, including those nominated by the UK political parties, to ensure the highest standards of propriety.

  • Independent Members are appointed for five year non-renewable terms. More information about HOLAC can be found on their website.