Our Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees is vested with legal responsibility for the management and stewardship of the Hansard Society in accordance with our charitable objectives.
Rt Hon the Baroness Taylor of Bolton (Chair)
Ann was appointed to the House of Lords as a life peer in 2005 and currently serves as Chair of its Industry and Regulators Committee. She is also a member of the House of Lords Appointments Commission. A trailblazer in British politics, Ann was the first woman to hold the roles of Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (1997-1998) and Chief Whip (1999-2001). Her role as a young Labour whip in the Wilson and Callaghan governments (1975-1979) is memorably depicted in James Graham's award winning play This House. She began her parliamentary career as the Labour MP for Bolton West (1974-1983), later representing Dewsbury (1987-2005).
Rt Hon the Baroness Taylor of Bolton (Chair)
Ann was appointed to the House of Lords as a life peer in 2005 and currently serves as Chair of its Industry and Regulators Committee. She is also a member of the House of Lords Appointments Commission. A trailblazer in British politics, Ann was the first woman to hold the roles of Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (1997-1998) and Chief Whip (1999-2001). Her role as a young Labour whip in the Wilson and Callaghan governments (1975-1979) is memorably depicted in James Graham's award winning play This House. She began her parliamentary career as the Labour MP for Bolton West (1974-1983), later representing Dewsbury (1987-2005).
From 2001 to 2005, she chaired the Intelligence and Security Committee, overseeing vital aspects of national security on behalf of Parliament. After joining the House of Lords, she was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Defence with responsibility for procurement (2007-2008) and subsequently Minister for International Defence and Security in a post jointly hosted by the MOD and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (2008-2010). She served on Parliament's Joint Committee on National Security Strategy from 2010 to 2014 and is currently a member of Thales Group UK's Advisory Panel (aerospace, defence, security).
Between 2018 and 2022 she was Chair of the House of Lords Constitution Committee and since 2016 has been a member of the House of Lords Speaker's Committee on the Size of the House.
She has been a member of a number of charitable boards, most recently the Holocaust Memorial Charitable Trust (2019-2024) and the National Coal Mining Museum for England Trust (2013-2021).
_______ Image credit: House of Lords (CC BY 3.0 licence: the image has been adapted for greyscale)
Shirley Cameron (Treasurer)
Shirley is a member of the Senior Executive Group of the BBC and serves as Director of Revenue and Customer Management, leading the Licence Fee Unit. During her career at the BBC, Shirley has held a variety of senior finance, project and management roles across the organisation. She spent seven years as BBC Group Financial Controller, overseeing all statutory and corporate reporting, including the BBC's Annual Report and Accounts.
Shirley Cameron (Treasurer)
Shirley is a member of the Senior Executive Group of the BBC and serves as Director of Revenue and Customer Management, leading the Licence Fee Unit. During her career at the BBC, Shirley has held a variety of senior finance, project and management roles across the organisation. She spent seven years as BBC Group Financial Controller, overseeing all statutory and corporate reporting, including the BBC's Annual Report and Accounts.
She has also served as Finance Director for the BBC's central services - spanning Marketing and Audiences, Property Finance, HR, Licence Fee, Strategy and External Affairs - and as Director of Finance and Business for Radio, where she managed financial strategy and performance for the BBC Radio networks, Orchestras and the Proms. Her earlier roles included managed finances for the TV Channels and BBC Films, leading the finance and governance of the new Broadcasting House project, and serving as Head of Finance for TV News and Weather.
Before joining the BBC, Shirley worked in Audit and Advisory at KPMG, including a secondment to their Melbourne office. She is a qualified Chartered Accountant and Treasurer.
She has also contributed her expertise in a voluntary capacity, most notably serving for ten years as a Governor of the University of West London, where she was Deputy Chair and Chair of the Finance and Remuneration Committee.
Jackie Ashley
Jackie is Chair of the National Brain Appeal, the charity supporting research and capital projects at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery. Since taking on the role she has overseen a transformation in fundraising for the charity, increasing annual income from under £2 million to £7 million in just five years. Prior to this, Jackie served as President of Lucy Cavendish College at the University of Cambridge where she raised the College's profile and championed female students pursuing careers in technology.
Jackie Ashley
Jackie is Chair of the National Brain Appeal, the charity supporting research and capital projects at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery. Since taking on the role she has overseen a transformation in fundraising for the charity, increasing annual income from under £2 million to £7 million in just five years.
Prior to this, Jackie served as President of Lucy Cavendish College at the University of Cambridge where she raised the College's profile and championed female students pursuing careers in technology.
Jackie spent over 30 years as a political journalist, working with the BBC, ITN, and Channel 4 News as a producer, reporter and presenter. She later become Political Editor of the New Statesman and a regular columnist for The Guardian. Based at Westminster for much of her career, she frequently chaired meetings and conferences in and around Westminster and at the party conferences. Her reporting focused on politics, parliamentary reform, health and education.
She chaired Women’s Parliamentary Radio for a decade, interviewing many of Westminster's leading female politicians. Jackie also served as a specialist adviser to the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee, contributing to inquiries on social care and HS2.
Currently she sits on the Royal Television Society's News and Current Affairs awards committee, where she chairs two juries each year.
Jackie has a strong interest in technology and artificial intelligence and is an Ambassador for the annual CogX Conference which explores the impact of AI and transformational tech.
Sir David Beamish KCB
David served as the Clerk of the Parliaments, the most senior official in the House of Lords, from 2011 to 2017. During his parliamentary career he held several key roles, including Clerk of the Journals, Clerk of Committees and Clerk of the Overseas Office. From 1983 to 1986, David was seconded to the Cabinet Office, where he served as Private Secretary to the Leader of the House of Lords and Government Chief Whip. He was knighted in 2017 for parliamentary service.
Sir David Beamish KCB
David served as the Clerk of the Parliaments, the most senior official in the House of Lords, from 2011 to 2017. During his parliamentary career he held several key roles, including Clerk of the Journals, Clerk of Committees and Clerk of the Overseas Office. From 1983 to 1986, David was seconded to the Cabinet Office, where he served as Private Secretary to the Leader of the House of Lords and Government Chief Whip. He was knighted in 2017 for parliamentary service.
He was joint editor, with Donald Shell, of The House of Lords at Work, published by Oxford University Press in 1993. Following his retirement he was appointed as an honorary Senior Research Associate of the Constitution Unit at UCL. He is the Chair of the Southwark Diocesan Board of Finance, an Honorary Steward at Westminster Abbey, and Vice-Chair of the Parochial Church Council of the parish of St Barnabas, Dulwich.
David was the winner of BBC Mastermind in 1988, with his specialist subject being the life and times of Nancy Astor.
Lord Dunlop
Andrew was appointed to the House of Lords as a life peer in 2015 and currently serves as a member of its Communications and Digital Committee. He was Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at both the Scotland Office (2015-2017) and the Northern Ireland Office (2016 to 2017), with a focus on promoting trade and investment. Prior to that he was principal adviser on devolved constitutional issues to Prime Minister David Cameron, playing a key role in shaping the UK Government's response to the 2014 Scottish independence referendum.
Lord Dunlop
Andrew was appointed to the House of Lords as a life peer in 2015 and currently serves as a member of its Communications and Digital Committee. He was Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at both the Scotland Office (2015-2017) and the Northern Ireland Office (2016 to 2017), with a focus on promoting trade and investment. Prior to that he was principal adviser on devolved constitutional issues to Prime Minister David Cameron, playing a key role in shaping the UK Government's response to the 2014 Scottish independence referendum.
In 2017, at the request of Prime Minister Theresa May, Andrew led a review into the UK Government's Union capability, exploring how Whitehall could better support devolution. The resulting Dunlop Review was published in 2021 and has informed ongoing debate on the future of the Union.
Earlier in his career, Andrew was the Head of Policy and Research for the Scottish Conservative Party, a Special Adviser to Defence Secretary George Younger MP, and a member of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's Policy Unit in Downing Street.
Between 1991 and 2010 he stepped back from frontline politics to run a successful communications and public affairs business.
Andrew is also a Board Director of Scottish Swimming. ______ Image credit: House of Lords (CC BY 3.0 licence: the image has been adapted for greyscale)
Sue Inglish
Sue spent over 30 years as a broadcast journalist, culminating in her role as Head of Political Programmes for BBC News until 2015. She was responsible for the BBC's political, parliamentary and election news and programmes across television, radio and digital platforms. She chaired the historic negotiations between broadcasters and politicians that led to the first UK Prime Ministerial election debates ahead of the 2010 general election.
Sue Inglish
Sue spent over 30 years as a broadcast journalist, culminating in her role as Head of Political Programmes for BBC News until 2015. She was responsible for the BBC's political, parliamentary and election news and programmes across television, radio and digital platforms. She chaired the historic negotiations between broadcasters and politicians that led to the first UK Prime Ministerial election debates ahead of the 2010 general election.
Before joining the BBC, Sue was Senior Foreign Editor and Deputy Editor at Channel 4 News, helping to shape its international coverage.
Beyond journalism she has held several key governance roles. She was Chair of Trustees at the Disasters Emergency Committee until March 2025 and has served as an independent governor of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy. She also chaired the International News Safety Institute, a charity focused on the safety of journalists around the world, as well as the Royal Television Society's TV journalism awards.
Rebecca Rumbul
Rebecca is the Executive Director and CEO of the Rust Foundation, the global non-profit that stewards the Rust programming language. With a PhD in Politics and Governance, she has worked internationally as a consultant and researcher, advising governments, parliaments and development agencies on openness, transparency and digital participation. Her work focuses on research to develop tools and strategies to strengthen civic engagement in the digital age.
Rebecca Rumbul
Rebecca is the Executive Director and CEO of the Rust Foundation, the global non-profit that stewards the Rust programming language. With a PhD in Politics and Governance, she has worked internationally as a consultant and researcher, advising governments, parliaments and development agencies on openness, transparency and digital participation. Her work focuses on research to develop tools and strategies to strengthen civic engagement in the digital age.
Previously, Rebecca was Director of Research at mySociety, and a Churchill Fellow, specialising in the use of civic technology to engage citizens in New Zealand and Australia.
In addition to her executive and consultancy roles, she serves as a Non-Executive Director and Council Member for the UK Advertising Standards Authority, a Board member at OpenUK and at Open SSF (the Open Source Security Foundation).
Lord Shamash
Gerald was appointed to the House of Lords as a life peer in 2024 and currently serves as a member of its UK Engagement with Space Committee. A leading authority on electoral law in the UK, he heads the Parliamentary, Electoral and Media Law practice at the law firm Edwards Duthie Shamash and has acted as solicitor to the Labour Party since 1990. His expertise spans local and parliamentary election law, parliamentary boundary inquiries, MPs conduct rules, Standards Board and Adjudication Tribunals for Councillors, judicial review, and local government law.
Lord Shamash
Gerald was appointed to the House of Lords as a life peer in 2024 and currently serves as a member of its UK Engagement with Space Committee. A leading authority on electoral law in the UK, he heads the Parliamentary, Electoral and Media Law practice at the law firm Edwards Duthie Shamash and has acted as solicitor to the Labour Party since 1990. His expertise spans local and parliamentary election law, parliamentary boundary inquiries, MPs conduct rules, Standards Board and Adjudication Tribunals for Councillors, judicial review, and local government law.
Gerald is recognised as a leader in his field in both the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners and has played a key role in several landmark election law cases, including R v Fiona Jones (1999), Ahmed v Kennedy (2003) and Knight v Nicholls (2004).
He is also an experienced litigator in media law, particularly in relation to the phone-hacking scandal involving the historic conduct of journalists at News Group Newspapers and Mirror Group Newspapers. His clients have included high profile figures such as Alistair Campbell, Paul Gascoigne, David Beckham's father, and Lord Jeffrey and Dame Mary Archer. He has also acted for several MPs in defamation, media and privacy-related claims.
Internationally, Gerald has led overseas delegations of the Law Society's Human Rights working party and contributed to the establishment of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance. He has lectured and delivered training in many jurisdictions including Sweden, Malawi, Bosnia Herzegovina, Croatia, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Cuba and Russia.
He is the Vice-chair of the Society of Labour Lawyers and the Chairman of the Manchester United Supporters Trust. ______ Image credit: House of Lords (CC BY 3.0 licence: the image has been adapted for greyscale)
Sir Paul Silk KCB
Paul began his career as a Clerk in the House of Commons, serving from 1975 to 1977 and again from 1979 to 2001 (with a two-year secondment to the Northern Ireland Office). From 2001 to 2007, he was Clerk to the National Assembly for Wales, overseeing its early institutional development, before returning to the House of Commons. In 2011, he was appointed Chair of the UK Government’s Commission on Devolution to Wales, widely known as the Silk Commission, which delivered two influential reports in 2012 and 2014 that have helped shape the modern Welsh devolution settlement.
Sir Paul Silk KCB
Paul began his career as a Clerk in the House of Commons, serving from 1975 to 1977 and again from 1979 to 2001 (with a two-year secondment to the Northern Ireland Office). From 2001 to 2007, he was Clerk to the National Assembly for Wales, overseeing its early institutional development, before returning to the House of Commons. In 2011, he was appointed Chair of the UK Government’s Commission on Devolution to Wales, widely known as the Silk Commission, which delivered two influential reports in 2012 and 2014 that have helped shape the modern Welsh devolution settlement.
He was knighted in 2015 for services to the Parliaments of the United Kingdom and to devolution.
Since 2010, Paul has advised more than 25 national and regional parliaments across the globe, sharing his expertise in governance, constitutional reform, and legislative process.
He is an Honorary Professor at Cardiff University, an Honorary Fellow of Aberystwyth University, an Honorary Doctor of the Open University, and a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales.
He also serves as a Trustee of Opora, a charity supporting Ukrainians in the UK, and sits on the Audit and Risk Committee of the Church in Wales. He is also a member of the Steering Committee of the Constitutional Reform Group and the Constitutional Monitoring Group of the Constitution Society.
Since 2022, Paul has been an elected member of the Cwmdu and District Community Council, gaining first-hand experience of politics at the micro level.
