Assistant Commissioners

Assistant Commissioners are appointed to assist the Commission in conducting a review of Parliamentary constituencies.

Assistant Commissioners:

attend as many as possible of the public hearings held in the region of England to which they are assigned. Lead Assistant Commissioners are expected to chair as many as possible of the public hearings in their region;
assist with the Secretariat’s analysis of all representations relating to that region following the initial and secondary consultation periods; and
contribute to the production of a written paper from the Secretariat to the Commissioners, recommending any revisions to the proposals for that region, and attend in person at the presentation of that paper to the Commissioners.

The Commission may also ask any Assistant Commissioner to assist it in the discharge of such other of its statutory duties as it sees fit.

The 16 Assistant Commmissioners appointed to assist in the conduct of the 2023 Boundary Review are listed below.

Eastern
Jane Kilgannon (Lead)	Jane is a barrister with a professional background as a government lawyer. She worked as a criminal prosecutor for the Department of Trade & Industry and later as an advisory lawyer for the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills, Department for Education and Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs. Jane currently works across a number of regulatory, adjudication and judicial roles spanning the education, employment, health, professional regulation and transport spheres.
David Brown QFSM	David is a magistrate in the adult criminal court, as well as a Commissioner for the Criminal Cases Review Commission, where he reviews potential miscarriages of justice. He is also a lay member of the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Previously, David worked as the Director of Operations in the London Fire Brigade, where he managed 102 fire stations, community safety, fire safety and mobilising. David has a BSc in Fire Command, and was awarded the Queen’s Fire Service Medal for hard work and commitment to the Fire Service and to London as a whole.

Eastern

Jane Kilgannon (Lead)

Jane is a barrister with a professional background as a government lawyer. She worked as a criminal prosecutor for the Department of Trade & Industry and later as an advisory lawyer for the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills, Department for Education and Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs.
Jane currently works across a number of regulatory, adjudication and judicial roles spanning the education, employment, health, professional regulation and transport spheres.

David Brown QFSM

David is a magistrate in the adult criminal court, as well as a Commissioner for the Criminal Cases Review Commission, where he reviews potential miscarriages of justice. He is also a lay member of the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Previously, David worked as the Director of Operations in the London Fire Brigade, where he managed 102 fire stations, community safety, fire safety and mobilising. David has a BSc in Fire Command, and was awarded the Queen’s Fire Service Medal for hard work and commitment to the Fire Service and to London as a whole.

East Midlands
Peter Fish CB (Lead)	Peter is a solicitor with over 25 years’ experience as a Government Lawyer, most recently as (interim) Treasury Solicitor, and Permanent Secretary of the Government Legal Department (GLD). He began his career as a litigation solicitor in private practice before joining the GLD in 1994. He held a number of senior legal roles across government including as Legal Adviser to the Cabinet Office, Head of the Attorney General’s Office and Legal Adviser to the Home Office. Peter was an executive member of GLD’s Board from 2014 until his retirement in April 2021.
Alison Blom-Cooper	Alison is a chartered town planner, and member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) with over 30 years’ experience across the public and private sectors. She is currently the Assistant Director for Strategic Place and Planning at Somerset West and Taunton Council, where she is responsible for Economic Development, Planning Policy, Development Management and Land Charges. Previous roles include Planning Inspector and Investigator for the Local Government Ombudsman, and magistrate in the Youth Court. She is an elected member of the RTPI General Assembly and a Trustee of the Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust.

East Midlands

Peter Fish CB (Lead)

Peter is a solicitor with over 25 years’ experience as a Government Lawyer, most recently as (interim) Treasury Solicitor, and Permanent Secretary of the Government Legal Department (GLD). He began his career as a litigation solicitor in private practice before joining the GLD in 1994. He held a number of senior legal roles across government including as Legal Adviser to the Cabinet Office, Head of the Attorney General’s Office and Legal Adviser to the Home Office. Peter was an executive member of GLD’s Board from 2014 until his retirement in April 2021.

Alison Blom-Cooper

Alison is a chartered town planner, and member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) with over 30 years’ experience across the public and private sectors. She is currently the Assistant Director for Strategic Place and Planning at Somerset West and Taunton Council, where she is responsible for Economic Development, Planning Policy, Development Management and Land Charges. Previous roles include Planning Inspector and Investigator for the Local Government Ombudsman, and magistrate in the Youth Court. She is an elected member of the RTPI General Assembly and a Trustee of the Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust.

London
John Feavyour QPM (Lead)	John Feavyour volunteers his time for a portfolio of local charities in Market Harborough, which provide grants for community projects and accessible community transport. Prior to this, John enjoyed 30 years in policing beginning in 1982 with Leicestershire Constabulary, then Northamptonshire Police, before concluding his police career as Deputy Chief Constable in Cambridgeshire. In 2013, John was awarded the Queen's Police Medal for 'Distinguished Service'. During the 2018 Review, John served as the Lead Assistant Commissioner for the Yorkshire and the Humber region. As well as a passionate belief in public service, John’s interests include cycling, gardening, reading, and DIY, including tinkering with his old Land Rover.
Parjinder Basra	Parjinder has a degree in Quantitative Methods and a master’s in Information Technology. A large proportion of his career was spent in policing, where he held various roles before leaving as a Business Support Director in 2016. Prior to this he worked in the Civil Service, local government and legal sectors. Parjinder now coaches senior leaders, is a Lay Member on the Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICAEW) Regulatory Board, and volunteers at the UpRising Leadership charity. He is married with two children.

London

John Feavyour QPM (Lead)

John Feavyour volunteers his time for a portfolio of local charities in Market Harborough, which provide grants for community projects and accessible community transport. Prior to this, John enjoyed 30 years in policing beginning in 1982 with Leicestershire Constabulary, then Northamptonshire Police, before concluding his police career as Deputy Chief Constable in Cambridgeshire. In 2013, John was awarded the Queen's Police Medal for 'Distinguished Service'. During the 2018 Review, John served as the Lead Assistant Commissioner for the Yorkshire and the Humber region. As well as a passionate belief in public service, John’s interests include cycling, gardening, reading, and DIY, including tinkering with his old Land Rover.

Parjinder Basra

Parjinder has a degree in Quantitative Methods and a master’s in Information Technology. A large proportion of his career was spent in policing, where he held various roles before leaving as a Business Support Director in 2016. Prior to this he worked in the Civil Service, local government and legal sectors. Parjinder now coaches senior leaders, is a Lay Member on the Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICAEW) Regulatory Board, and volunteers at the UpRising Leadership charity. He is married with two children.

North East
Tim Foy OBE (Lead)	Tim spent the first part of his career in the Department for International Development (DFID), working mostly overseas. He joined the Cabinet Office in 2010 and the Home Office in 2012, working on a variety of international and domestic issues. In 2017, in his last substantial post before retiring after 35 years as a civil servant, he was appointed as the Governor of Anguilla, a UK Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. Tim lives in Winchester with his wife, and has two grown-up sons.
Simon Barnes	Simon Barnes is a Solicitor and has also been called to the Bar of England and Wales. He has been a lawyer for over 20 years, most recently working in local government where he led a legal team specialising in planning and environmental law, governance, and judicial review. In addition to his legal practice, Simon is very interested in professional conduct, governance and standards and has experience of sitting as an independent member on committees and panels for a wide variety of organisations in the fields of healthcare, architecture, the emergency services, public relations, and linguistics.

North East

Tim Foy OBE (Lead)

Tim spent the first part of his career in the Department for International Development (DFID), working mostly overseas. He joined the Cabinet Office in 2010 and the Home Office in 2012, working on a variety of international and domestic issues. In 2017, in his last substantial post before retiring after 35 years as a civil servant, he was appointed as the Governor of Anguilla, a UK Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. Tim lives in Winchester with his wife, and has two grown-up sons.

Simon Barnes

Simon Barnes is a Solicitor and has also been called to the Bar of England and Wales. He has been a lawyer for over 20 years, most recently working in local government where he led a legal team specialising in planning and environmental law, governance, and judicial review. In addition to his legal practice, Simon is very interested in professional conduct, governance and standards and has experience of sitting as an independent member on committees and panels for a wide variety of organisations in the fields of healthcare, architecture, the emergency services, public relations, and linguistics.

North West
Andy Brennan QPM (Lead)	Andy was a Deputy Director in the National Crime Agency. Prior to this, he was a senior police officer in the West Yorkshire Police force where he held positions as the Head of the Homicide and Major Enquiry Teams and Head of Professional Standards and Counter Corruption Unit. Following his retirement, Andy became a Lay Member for the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) Complaints Committee, the Bar Standards Board (BSB) and the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapy (BACP). He was awarded the Queens Police Medal for services to policing and the public in 2012.
David Brown QFSM	David is a magistrate in the adult criminal court, as well as a Commissioner for the Criminal Cases Review Commission, where he reviews potential miscarriages of justice. He is also a lay member of the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Previously, David worked as the Director of Operations in the London Fire Brigade, where he managed 102 fire stations, community safety, fire safety and mobilising. David has a BSc in Fire Command, and was awarded the Queen’s Fire Service Medal for hard work and commitment to the Fire Service and to London as a whole.

North West

Andy Brennan QPM (Lead)

Andy was a Deputy Director in the National Crime Agency. Prior to this, he was a senior police officer in the West Yorkshire Police force where he held positions as the Head of the Homicide and Major Enquiry Teams and Head of Professional Standards and Counter Corruption Unit. Following his retirement, Andy became a Lay Member for the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) Complaints Committee, the Bar Standards Board (BSB) and the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapy (BACP). He was awarded the Queens Police Medal for services to policing and the public in 2012.

David Brown QFSM

South East
Howard Simmons (Lead)	Howard has experience of working in the public, private and voluntary sectors as well as within local, regional and national government. Commencing in community development, Howard moved to planning and regeneration, establishing public and private partnerships and holding Executive Director posts in several local authorities. After being Deputy Chief Executive in a London borough, Howard became a senior manager with the Audit Commission responsible for assessing governance, partnerships and service improvement and has most recently served as a National Commissioner for Civil Aviation. Howard served as Lead Assistant Commissioner for the London region during the 2018 Review.
Simon Tinkler	Simon has been a partner in a leading City law firm since 2000, specialising in corporate transactions and advisory work. He was the managing partner for the London Corporate Practice from 2010 to 2014. He has since 2010 also sat on the Solicitor Disciplinary Tribunal, the independent body that hears serious allegations of misconduct against solicitors. Simon is also a trustee of the South West London Law Centres. He lives in London.

South East

Howard Simmons (Lead)

Howard has experience of working in the public, private and voluntary sectors as well as within local, regional and national government. Commencing in community development, Howard moved to planning and regeneration, establishing public and private partnerships and holding Executive Director posts in several local authorities. After being Deputy Chief Executive in a London borough, Howard became a senior manager with the Audit Commission responsible for assessing governance, partnerships and service improvement and has most recently served as a National Commissioner for Civil Aviation. Howard served as Lead Assistant Commissioner for the London region during the 2018 Review.

Simon Tinkler

Simon has been a partner in a leading City law firm since 2000, specialising in corporate transactions and advisory work. He was the managing partner for the London Corporate Practice from 2010 to 2014. He has since 2010 also sat on the Solicitor Disciplinary Tribunal, the independent body that hears serious allegations of misconduct against solicitors. Simon is also a trustee of the South West London Law Centres. He lives in London.

South West
Anita Bickerdike (Lead)	Anita qualified as a solicitor in 1987, and has since worked in the legal and financial sectors, central government, and national governing bodies for sports. Anita has extensive experience in chairing investigations, public hearings, and independent committees; and advising on policy, compliance, legislation and governance. She has held the following roles: Independent Chair NHS England; Non- Executive Director Badminton England; Chair National Disciplinary Committee Badminton England; Chair Case Management Panel Archery GB; and Managing Director of the consultancy firm Positive Intention. Anita was the Lead Assistant Commissioner for the South West Region during the 2018 review.
John Feavyour	John Feavyour volunteers his time for a portfolio of local charities in Market Harborough, which provide grants for community projects and accessible community transport. Prior to this, John enjoyed 30 years in policing beginning in 1982 with Leicestershire Constabulary, then Northamptonshire Police, before concluding his police career as Deputy Chief Constable in Cambridgeshire. In 2013, John was awarded the Queen's Police Medal for 'Distinguished Service'. During the 2018 Review, John served as the Lead Assistant Commissioner for the Yorkshire and the Humber region. As well as a passionate belief in public service, John’s interests include cycling, gardening, reading, and DIY, including tinkering with his old Land Rover.

South West

Anita Bickerdike (Lead)

Anita qualified as a solicitor in 1987, and has since worked in the legal and financial sectors, central government, and national governing bodies for sports. Anita has extensive experience in chairing investigations, public hearings, and independent committees; and advising on policy, compliance, legislation and governance. She has held the following roles: Independent Chair NHS England; Non- Executive Director Badminton England; Chair National Disciplinary Committee Badminton England; Chair Case Management Panel Archery GB; and Managing Director of the consultancy firm Positive Intention. Anita was the Lead Assistant Commissioner for the South West Region during the 2018 review.

John Feavyour

West Midlands
Sir David Natzler KCB (Lead)	Sir David retired in 2019 after a career of over 40 years in the House of Commons, much of it servicing the select committees established in 1979, involving the organisation of inquiries and the writing of reports. In 2015 he was appointed Clerk of the House of Commons, the senior adviser to the Speaker and all members of the House on parliamentary practice and procedure and on the constitution. He was also head of the 2500 strong House of Commons service. His period as Clerk covered two general elections and the EU referendum. He lives in south London.
Ruth Bagley OBE	Ruth has 35 years’ experience working in local government. The last 16 years were as Chief Executive of two local authorities. She was the Returning Officer in both councils. Ruth developed interests in strategic planning, housing, skills, wellbeing, economic growth and strategic transport. Her experience of working in a super-diverse area has given her a basic facility in several languages. She now holds a portfolio of non-executive and programme roles in housing, higher education, health, transport infrastructure and good governance.

West Midlands

Sir David Natzler KCB (Lead)

Sir David retired in 2019 after a career of over 40 years in the House of Commons, much of it servicing the select committees established in 1979, involving the organisation of inquiries and the writing of reports. In 2015 he was appointed Clerk of the House of Commons, the senior adviser to the Speaker and all members of the House on parliamentary practice and procedure and on the constitution. He was also head of the 2500 strong House of Commons service. His period as Clerk covered two general elections and the EU referendum. He lives in south London.

Ruth Bagley OBE

Ruth has 35 years’ experience working in local government. The last 16 years were as Chief Executive of two local authorities. She was the Returning Officer in both councils. Ruth developed interests in strategic planning, housing, skills, wellbeing, economic growth and strategic transport. Her experience of working in a super-diverse area has given her a basic facility in several languages. She now holds a portfolio of non-executive and programme roles in housing, higher education, health, transport infrastructure and good governance.

Yorkshire and the Humber
Professor Paul Wiles CB (Lead)	Until the end of 2020, Paul was the UK’s Biometrics Commissioner under the Protection of Freedoms Act, 2012, responsible for overseeing police use of biometrics. He was also a governor of Sheffield Hallam University, having previously held university positions at the LSE, Cambridge, Sheffield, Chuo and Oxford universities. Prior to this, Paul held public appointments as Advisor to the Sentencing Council, Commissioner for the Local Government Boundary Commission, and Board Member of the Food Standards Agency. He was a Non-Executive Director and Trustee of the National Centre for Social Research. From 1999 to 2010 he was Chief Scientific Advisor to the Home Office, and the Government’s Chief Social Scientist.
Suzanne McCarthy	After working as a lawyer in private practice and academia, Suzanne entered the Civil Service working at the Home Office and HM Treasury. She was CEO of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and the Financial Services Compensation Scheme before becoming the UK’s Immigration Services Commissioner. She currently chairs two charities, the Joint Audit Panel for the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) and the Metropolitan Police Service, the Fire Standards Board and Deputy Chair of the Valuation Tribunal Service. She is on the Board of the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority and the Fundraising Regulator. Her previous Boards include the University of London and the Advertising Standards Authority.

Yorkshire and the Humber

Professor Paul Wiles CB (Lead)

Until the end of 2020, Paul was the UK’s Biometrics Commissioner under the Protection of Freedoms Act, 2012, responsible for overseeing police use of biometrics. He was also a governor of Sheffield Hallam University, having previously held university positions at the LSE, Cambridge, Sheffield, Chuo and Oxford universities. Prior to this, Paul held public appointments as Advisor to the Sentencing Council, Commissioner for the Local Government Boundary Commission, and Board Member of the Food Standards Agency. He was a Non-Executive Director and Trustee of the National Centre for Social Research. From 1999 to 2010 he was Chief Scientific Advisor to the Home Office, and the Government’s Chief Social Scientist.

Suzanne McCarthy

After working as a lawyer in private practice and academia, Suzanne entered the Civil Service working at the Home Office and HM Treasury. She was CEO of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and the Financial Services Compensation Scheme before becoming the UK’s Immigration Services Commissioner. She currently chairs two charities, the Joint Audit Panel for the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) and the Metropolitan Police Service, the Fire Standards Board and Deputy Chair of the Valuation Tribunal Service. She is on the Board of the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority and the Fundraising Regulator. Her previous Boards include the University of London and the Advertising Standards Authority.

Register of Interests

A Register of Interests for the Assistant Commissioners, produced in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies, is available to download here.