Who we are

Andrew is the newly elected Labour Member of Parliament for Welwyn Hatfield as of 2024. Andrew is committed to reforming the economy and delivering both sustainable energy and housing reform. Andrew’s background is in communications and before becoming an MP he was the Director of Clarion Housing Group who aim to deliver houses to those most in need.

Peter has chaired Virgin Group since 2009 and currently also acts as chair for Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Hotels as well as for Agilyx AS, a leading chemical recycling company. He has over 40 years’ experience in business management and investment banking and brings knowledge and understanding of the international economy and impacts on business and international trade.

Sir Jonathan Faull is Chair of European Public Affairs at the Brunswick Group. He was previously Director General in various departments at the European Commission. Author of many articles on European law and policy and co-editor of a leading work on EU Competition Law. Visiting Professor, King’s College London and College of Europe, Bruges; Emeritus Professor, Vrije Universiteit Brussel; Board Member/Fellow, Centre for European Reform, Institut Jacques Delors, Centre for Competition Policy, British Institute of International and Comparative Law, European and International Analysts Group, Institute for European Policymaking, Bocconi University.

Ros is a non-affiliated peer in the House of Lords who has served in the chamber from 2015. She was Mijister of State for Pensions in David Cameron’s Government. Well-known for leading the ‘pensiontheft’ campaign and advocating for the rights of women, Ros is also renowned for her economic analysis. Following her academic economic work at Harvard University and PhD from the London School of Economics, she worked as an international economist and fund manager in London and has advised Governments, investment banks, research institutes and institutional investors on long term investment and pensions policy. She is an LSE emeritus governor and Visiting Professor.

Layla has been the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Oxford West and Abingdon since 2017. Currently the Chair of the Health & Social Care Committee, Layla has occupied a number of impressive portfolios for her party: Science, Innovation and Technology (2023-24), Foreign, Commonwealth and Diplomatic Affairs (2020-24), Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (2019-20) and Education (2017-2020).

Before her election to Parliament in 2019, Claire was a Belfast City councillor and a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly, formerly acting as the SDLP’s Brexit spokesperson. Claire currently sits on the Commons’ Northern Ireland Affairs Committee. Prior to elected politics, Claire worked in international development, in a range of policy and education roles, taking her to parts of the world such as Haiti, Zambia and Bangladesh.

Lord Darroch’s diplomatic career has spanned four decades where he has served as Head of the Cabinet Office European Secretariat and the Prime Ministers Advisor on European affairs from 2004-2007 and four years as British Permanent Representative to the European Union. He was National Security Advisor from 2012-2015 before taking on the UK’s foremost diplomatic post as the British Ambassador to the USA from 2016 until 2019. He was Chairperson of internationalist campaign group Best for Britain between 2021 and 2023.

Liz is leader of the Plaid Cymru group of MPs in Westminster and Plaid’s Spokesperson for Home Affairs, Justice, Business and Equality. During her professional career, she specialised in developing ‘Welsh medium’ further education and staff training.

Stephen practised for 40 years as an EU competition lawyer, mostly in Brussels, including as Managing Partner of the Brussels office of Herbert Smith and global head of the antitrust practice at Sidley Austin. 

He is deputy chair of the anti death penalty organisation Reprieve, founder of the campaigning groups Clean Up The Internet and Law For Change, board member at Hacked Off and chair of the Press Justice Project. 

Simon Hughes was a Liberal Democrat MP for Southwark and Bermondsey from 1983 to 2015. During this time they took the role of Minister for Justice and Civil Liberties, deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, and President of the Liberal Democrats. Since leaving the House of Commons in 2015, Simon has worked with the Open University, Talgo, and become Chancellor of London South Bank University. Prior to politics, Simon spent six years as a barrister.

Rachel Blake is a British politician who has been the Member of Parliament for the Cities of London and Westminster constituency since 2024.

More members of the Commission will be announced in the coming weeks