Anya Hurlbert

Appointed as a STEM Trustee

Anya Hurlbert is Professor of Visual Neuroscience and Dean of Advancement at Newcastle University.  She co-founded Newcastle’s Institute of Neuroscience in 2003, serving as its co-Director until 2014, and now steers its Centre for Transformative Neuroscience.  She was a Marshall Scholar  and holds degrees in physics, physiology, brain and cognitive science, and medicine from Princeton, Cambridge, MIT and Harvard, respectively.

Anya’s research interests are focussed on the understanding of human vision, especially colour perception and its role in cognition and behaviour; her work includes applications in imaging, lighting, visual art, and human health. She received the Newton Medal (the Colour Group GB; 2022)  and has delivered many named and keynote lectures, including the Edridge-Green Lecture (the Royal College of Ophthalmologists) and the Richard Gregory Memorial Lecture (Bristol Vision Institute).

Anya speaks and writes widely on colour vision and art, contributes to television and radio programmes, and has devised several science-based art exhibitions, including an interactive installation at the National Gallery, London. In addition to several international advisory boards, Anya serves on the Scientific Consultative Group of the National Gallery, where she was recently Scientific Trustee, and on the editorial boards of the Journal of Vision and Current Biology, the Board of Directors of the Vision Sciences Society, and the Rank Prize Funds Optoelectronics Committee.

Baroness Nicky Morgan

Appointed as a Senior Level Leadership Trustee

The Rt Hon the Baroness Morgan of Cotes (Nicky Morgan) is a former Conservative Minister having served in the Cabinets of David Cameron and Boris Johnson as, respectively, Minister for Women & Equalities, Education Secretary and Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Secretary. She also chaired the House of Commons Treasury Select Committee for 2 years. She was the Member of Parliament for Loughborough between 2010 and 2019.

She has also served as Financial Secretary, Economic Secretary, a Government Whip and PPS to the Universities Minister.  Before being elected she worked as a solicitor specialising in M&A.

Nicky is a founding trustee of a mental health charity in Leicestershire. She is now a member of the House of Lords and has a portfolio career with roles across the private and public sectors, including as a Non-Executive Director at Santander UK, the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, the Association of British Insurers, the Great Central Railway plc and the Careers & Enterprise Company.  Nicky also chairs the Advisory Board of the Reform think tank.

Gregory Radick

Appointed as a STEM Trustee

Gregory Radick is Professor of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Leeds. Educated at Rutgers University in New Jersey (where he was born and raised) and then at Cambridge University, he has published widely in the history of the life and human sciences since 1800. His book The Simian Tongue: The Long Debate about Animal Language (Chicago, 2007) was awarded the 2010 Suzanne J. Levinson Prize of the History of Science Society for best book in the history of the life sciences and natural history. His other books include Disputed Inheritance: The Battle over Mendel and the Future of Biology (Chicago, 2023) and, as co-editor, The Cambridge Companion to Darwin (Cambridge, 2003; 2nd edition, 2009). He has held fellowships from the British Academy and the Leverhulme Trust, and served as President of the British Society for the History of Science (2014-16) and the International Society for the History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Biology (2019-21).  He writes and lectures frequently for general audiences, and has appeared on BBC Radio 4’s In Our Time and in the PBS/National Geographic television series Genius with Stephen Hawking.

Sarah Sands

Appointed as a Senior Level Leadership Trustee

Sarah Sands has had a prominent career in journalism; she has edited two newspapers, the Sunday Telegraph and The Evening Standard, and she went on to be editor of Radio 4’s Today programme. She currently serves on the board of Channel 4 and of the Berkeley Group and is a partner at Hawthorn Advisors. She is a trustee of Index on Censorship, an honorary fellow of Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge and of Goldsmiths College, London, and is chair of Bright Blue think tank. She founded the Braemar Science Summit now in its second year. She was appointed chair of G7 gender equality advisory council in 2021 and is a member of the council under German presidency this year. She has published a book on monastic lessons, The Interior Silence.

Science Museum Group Trustees are not remunerated. This appointment has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election.

Baroness Nicky Morgan declared having been a parliamentary candidate and elected MP for the Conservative Party.

Anya Hurlbert, Gregory Radick and Sarah Sands have declared no activity.

The Egremont flood scheme not only reduces flood risk to the local community it also improves the town by providing more green spaces for local use. Children from Orgill School have taken part in planting roughly 200 trees to increase biodiversity and improve local access to green spaces. Single tree and shrub habitats provide the biggest hit by way of species and threatened species. Re-connecting woodland habitats and planting appropriately is one simple way to increase the diversity and function of our countryside.

Planting of trees also helps to combat C02 emissions thus making the air cleaner for humans and wildlife. The trees planted include plum, apple, damson and cherry trees, all of which will be able to be picked by the children in the future. The Environment Agency worked with the school to help them combat anti-social behaviour. The planting of trees and shrubs inside the perimeter of the gates of the school has reduced the anti-social behaviour around the school and the school would like more planting to continue to help reduce this behaviour even more.

The Environment Agency plan to continue working with Orgill School soon by creating mini allotments which will consist of vegetables and plants in a bid to make pupils more active and have a better knowledge of where their food comes from. As well as this, a local angling club are working with the pupils of Orgill school to offer them the chance to take part in fishing activities.

Julie Irving, Headteacher at Orgill School said:

Our children, in Nursery, had a wonderful time planting fruit trees with ‘Safari’ Mike and his team. The children are incredibly excited to watch the trees grow and can’t wait to start harvesting the fruit!

We are busy preparing for our next project and are delighted that Mike will be able to support again. Our allotment garden has been in the pipeline for a few years and was halted due to the pandemic. We are eager to get our children more involved in growing their own produce and have a space to enjoy throughout the year.

A huge thank you to everyone involved in supporting our projects, this year.

Since planning approval of this important flood scheme in October 2019, the Environment Agency have completed culvert works at Croadalla Avenue and property resistance measures have been delivered to 43 properties across the town. As well as this, construction on flood storage areas, consisting of flood walls and flood embankments, at West Lakes Academy, Falcon Club and How Bank Farm have been completed.

The channel of Black Beck have also been completed as part of this scheme. The completed project have created meanders and bends, to allow the natural channel of the beck to be found again. The meanders and in stream features such as natural bed material have provided essential habitat for fish and insects to thrive. Other features found in natural rivers and on floodplains have also been introduced at Black Beck to slow the flow. They help to store more water during times of flood. This will help to reduce downstream flood risk by storing more flood water further upstream.

Paul Robertshaw, from the Environment Agency said:

We would like to thank the children of Orgill school for helping us plant trees, in bid to boost biodiversity, as part the flood scheme in Egremont. We look forward to seeing the benefits this will bring to wildlife and the local community. We also hope to continue this work by growing an allotment garden where children can grow their own produce.

The Skirting and Whangs Beck Flood Risk Management Scheme will not only better protect people and property from flooding but will create a better place for the community by providing an enhanced environment for wildlife to thrive. We are delighted to see the progress on this scheme and look forward to the benefits its completion will bring.

You can find out more about the scheme by visiting www.thefloodhub.co.uk and checking ‘Your local area’ to see a summary of what the scheme is proposing and for general information on how to prepare and respond to all sources of flooding.

Minister for Asia and the Middle East Amanda Milling has completed her second trip to the Gulf this week, visiting Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

The visit came as ties between the UK and the Gulf Co-operation Council are strengthening quickly. Last month the UK announced that GCC countries will be exempt from visa requirements, joining the Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme and also launched Free Trade Agreement discussions.

During a one-day visit to Bahrain, Minister Milling met Bahrain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Dr Abdullatif Al Zayani, where they further reflected on the strong bilateral relationship. Ms Milling congratulated the Minister for Bahrain’s continued progress in human rights and reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to support Bahrain’s work in this area.

She also had productive meetings with the Minister of Justice and Minister of Finance and National Economy. Ms Milling heard from influential young Bahrainis about their hopes and aspirations, met senior business figures, and visited the UK Naval Support Facility for a briefing on UK security contributions in the region, alongside the US and other defence partners.

In Qatar, the Minister met with her counterpart, Deputy Foreign Minister and HE Sultan Saad Al Muraikhi to discuss strengthening the bilateral partnership, building on the recent visit to the UK by His Highness the Amir, including areas of regional and international security.

The Minister also met with Nasser Al Khater, CEO Qatar 2022 ahead of the World Cup to discuss what England and Wales fans can expect during the tournament, the Minister of Labour Dr. Ali bin Samikh Al-Marri to discuss labour rights and the Minister of Public Health, Dr Hannan Al Kuwari to discuss cooperation on global health matters.

In the UAE, Minister Milling met with key Emirati officials such as Dr Anwar Gargesh and HE Sheikh Shakbout bin Nahyan to discuss how to drive forward the ‘Partnership for the Future’ (P4F) agreement signed by the PM and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan during a Guest of Government visit to the UK in September 2021.

Minister of State for Asia and the Middle East, Amanda Milling MP said:

Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE are close friends of the UK. We are making it easier for UK companies to trade with companies in the Gulf through a Free Trade Agreement and for citizens of the Gulf to travel to the UK through our Electronic Visa Authorisation scheme.

In Bahrain, I reiterated that the UK is a reliable partner and we’ll continue to work closely together on many areas, including regional security, human rights and trade and investment.

In Qatar I had the opportunity to discuss on-going preparations for the World Cup, and our support for a safe and enjoyable experience for British fans.

In the UAE, my counterparts and I discussed the full range of shared priorities outlined in the Partnership for the Future, from boosting bilateral trade to regional stability and development.

Thank you Chair

Welcome back, Ambassador Del Monaco to the Permanent Council, and thank you for your comprehensive report highlighting the Presence’s achievements over the last ten months.

During this period we were pleased to welcome Albania’s membership of the UN Security Council, including their leadership of the UNSC in June.

We cannot escape the fact that this period has also been marked by Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, an invasion which the UK strongly condemns. We welcome Albania’s firm position, and note that the invasion has resulted in some challenges to Albania’s Government priorities, including around the cost of living.

Turning to your report, I would like to focus on four key areas, namely: electoral reform, media freedom, anti-corruption, and the fight against serious organised crime and trafficking.

First – on electoral reform, we welcome your continued efforts to assist the reform process, a stated top priority of the Assembly of Albania. This includes the Presence’s work with the Central Election Commission (CEC), including their objective of having the necessary infrastructure in place to support out of country voting by autumn 2023. We also appreciate your support to the CEC, together with OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), on drafting its first ever Code of Ethics. As mentioned previously, your support and advocacy for an inclusive approach to elections is highly valued. We were pleased that our Embassy in Tirana was able to join with the Presence and the CEC to encourage youth participation in electoral processes earlier this year. We continue to encourage further work on electoral reform, including by addressing ODIHR recommendations, and we welcome the cross-partisan efforts of the new Assembly in this direction. This work is especially important ahead of the June 2023 local elections.

Secondly – we welcome your focus on media freedom in Albania. As your report notes, the Media Freedom Index, published by Reporters Without Borders in May 2022, ranked Albania 103rd, dropping 20 places compared to 2021. Journalists should be able to report in a free and accurate way to hold those in power to account, expose corruption and inform citizens.

Thirdly – we commend your continued focus and expertise in addressing corruption, including to corruption-proof legislation. We welcome the work of the Special Prosecutor against Corruption (SPAK), which must continue to be supported. It is noteworthy that your report mentions the complex interplay between corrupt practices and gender inequality. Gender is integral in all that we do, and we appreciate your attention to this. We also welcome the commitment of the Ministry of Justice/National Coordinator Against Corruption to follow up on the Presence’s recommendations and to mainstream gender in the national anti-corruption strategy. As mentioned previously, we also encourage a focus on intersectional factors, and we are pleased that the OSCE is starting to increase its attention here.

Fourthly – on fighting serious organised crime and trafficking, we welcome your continued assistance in combating trafficking in human beings. We particularly note your support to innovative multi-sectoral training, addressing child trafficking, and on the Anti-Trafficking National Referral Mechanism Framework. Combating trans-national threats is vital for any government, and we appreciate your support in building the basis for Intelligence-led Policing to address serious and organised crime.

Looking ahead – we welcome the Presence’s planned focus and we look forward to hearing more on your assistance to advance these areas, including on electoral reform, media freedom, good governance, serious organised crime and gender equality.

In concluding, I would like to thank you, Ambassador del Monaco, and your team for your hard work and commitment during the reporting period. We wish you the very best of luck in your future endeavours.

Thank you Chair

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s statement in Downing Street

Good afternoon everybody,

It is now clearly the will of the parliamentary conservative party that there should be a new leader of that party

and therefore a new Prime Minister

and I have agreed with Sir Graham Brady

the chairman of our backbench MPs

that the process of choosing that new leader should begin now

and the timetable will be announced next week

and I have today appointed a cabinet to serve – as I will – until a new leader is in place

so I want to say to the millions of people who voted for us in 2019 – many of them voting Conservative for the first time

thank you for that incredible mandate

the biggest Conservative majority since 1987

the biggest share of the vote since 1979

and the reason I have fought so hard for the last few days to continue to deliver that mandate in person

was not just because I wanted to do so

but because I felt it was my job, my duty, my obligation to you to continue to do what we promised in 2019

and of course I am immensely proud of the achievements of this government

from getting Brexit done and settling our relations with the continent after half a century

reclaiming the power for this country to make its own laws in parliament

getting us all through the pandemic

delivering the fastest vaccine rollout in Europe

the fastest exit from lockdown

and in the last few months leading the west in standing up to Putin’s aggression in Ukraine

and let me say now to the people of Ukraine that I know that we in the UK will continue to back your fight for freedom for as long as it takes

and at the same time in this country we have at the same time been pushing forward a vast programme of investment in infrastructure, skills and technology

the biggest for a century

because if I have one insight into human beings

it is that genius and talent and enthusiasm and imagination are evenly distributed throughout the population

but opportunity is not

and that is why we need to keep levelling up

keep unleashing the potential of every part of the United Kingdom

and if we can do that in this country, we will be the most prosperous in Europe

and in the last few days I have tried to persuade my colleagues that it would be eccentric to change governments

when we are delivering so much

and when we have such a vast mandate and when we are actually only a handful of points behind in the polls

even in mid term after quite a few months of pretty unrelenting sledging

and when the economic scene is so difficult domestically and internationally

and I regret not to have been successful in those arguments

and of course it is painful not to be able to see through so many ideas and projects myself

but as we’ve seen at Westminster, the herd is powerful and when the herd moves, it moves and

and my friends in politics no one is remotely indispensable

And our brilliant and Darwinian system will produce another leader equally committed to taking this country forward through tough times

not just helping families to get through it but changing and improving our systems, cutting burdens on businesses and families

and – yes – cutting taxes

because that is the way to generate the growth and the income we need to pay for great public services

and to that new leader I say, whoever he or she may be, I will give you as much support as I can

and to you the British people I know that there will be many who are relieved

but perhaps quite a few who will be disappointed

and I want you to know how sad I am to give up the best job in the world

but them’s the breaks

I want to thank Carrie and our children, to all the members of my family who have had to put up with so much for so long

I want to thank the peerless British civil service for all the help and support that you have given

our police, our emergency services and of course our NHS who at a critical moment helped to extend my own period in office

as well as our armed services and our agencies that are so admired around the world and

[Political content ommitted]

I want to thank the wonderful staff here at Number Ten and of course at chequers and our fantastic protforce detectives – the one group, by the way, who never leak

and above all I want to thank you the British public for the immense privilege you have given me

and I want you to know that from now until the new Prime Minister is in place, your interests will be served and the government of the country will be carried on

Being Prime Minister is an education in itself

I have travelled to every part of the United Kingdom and in addition to the beauty of our natural world

I have found so many people possessed of such boundless British originality and so willing to tackle old problems in new ways that I know that even if things can sometimes seem dark now, our future together is golden.

Thank you all very much.