Transparency data

Cabinet Office Publication of Special Adviser Interests 2024-2025 (HTML)

Published 17 July 2025

Introduction

As with all civil servants, special advisers must ensure that no conflict arises, or could be perceived to arise, between their public duties and their private interests, financial or otherwise.

In line with the current Declaration of Interests policy for special advisers, interests must be declared to their Permanent Secretary in the appointing department for consideration. The personal information which special advisers disclose to the Permanent Secretary is treated in confidence.

All special advisers are required to submit a completed declaration of interests form, including nil returns in instances where there was no actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest.

Where relevant to the role, and to help manage a perception of conflict or to explain how a conflict is being managed, interests are published on an annual basis in, or alongside, the relevant departmental Annual Report and Accounts. This provides a balance between transparency and privacy.

The declared interests of all those employed in the period 1 April 2024 - 31 March 2025 have been considered for publication, including those who have since left their Department. The Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary has considered these returns and deemed that the following relevant interests should be made public for special advisers working within the Cabinet Office departmental boundary (i.e. Cabinet Office, Number 10 and the offices of the Leaders of the Houses).

As a result of the General Election in July 2024, this edition of the annual publication includes Special Advisers from both the former administration and the current administration. Any mitigations listed relate to when the Special Adviser was in post.

Conservative Administration

Name	Interest
Dan O’Neill (to May 2024)	Mr O’Neill holds a paid role at CCHQ. Mr O’Neill’s work as a special adviser is a part-time contract and his work for CCHQ is performed outside these hours. Mr O’Neill holds an unpaid role as director of SW1 Group Limited. During this period, he did not play an active role in the affairs of this organisation. Mr O’Neill holds an unpaid role as director of D.J.O Political Consulting. During this period, he did not play an active role in the affairs of this organisation.
Ed de Minckwitz (to July 2024)	Mr de Minckwitz is recused from involvement in matters that relate to ServiceNow, as well as from involvement in matters relating to other IT service management providers.
Ed Jankowski (to April 2024)	Mr Jankowski holds an unpaid role as director of Future:You PR Limited. During this period, he did not play an active role in the affairs of this organisation.
Eleanor Shawcross (to July 2024)	Ms Shawcross’ spouse/partner is the CEO of Next PLC. Ms Shawcross’ father is the Commissioner for Public Appointments and the independent Reviewer of Prevent. Ms Shawcross is recused from discussions relating to taxation, subsidies or regulation of high street retailers, and of retail sectors in which Next PLC operates. Ms Shawcross will also recuse herself from involvement in matters relating to public appointments or to Prevent. Ms Shawcross is recused from involvement in nuclear fusion energy policy matters.
Eve Lugg (to May 2024)	Ms Lugg holds an unpaid role as Head of Business Engagement at Digital Tories.
Franck Petitgas (to May 2024)	Mr Petitgas is recused from involvement in pharmaceutical policy matters. Mr Petitgas is a trustee of the Tate Foundation, Glyndebourne, the Goodwood Art Foundation and the Courtauld Institute of Art (where he is also Deputy Chair of Governors) and President of the UK chapter of the Legion d’Honneur. Mr Petitgas is recused from discussions relating to bids for Government funding in respect of these organisations, and from involvement in arts policy matters. Mr Petitgas will also recuse himself from matters relating to Morgan Stanley. Mr Petitgas is the Owner and unpaid Director of the Manor of Bosham and the Hundred Ltd.
Hannah Ellis (to May 2024)	Ms Ellis is a councillor for the Great Parndon Ward for Harlow District Council.
Jamie Njoku-Goodwin (to May 2024)	Mr Njoku-Goodwin is recused from policy matters affecting the UK music industry. Mr Njoku-Goodwin is a board member of London Philharmonic Orchestra. Mr Njoku-Goodwin is a trustee of Britten Pears Arts.
John Bew (to July 2024)	Mr Bew is on secondment from King’s College London where he is a Professor in History and Foreign Policy. Mr Bew is a member of the European Council of Foreign Relations.
Katherine Howell (to May 2024)	Ms Howell is recused from discussions regarding the selection of barristers from the Attorney General’s C Panel.
Lisa Lovering (to May 2024)	Ms Lovering holds a paid role as an Assistant to the Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP in his capacity as a private individual. Ms Lovering’s work as a Special Adviser is a part-time contract and her work as an Assistant to the Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP is performed outside these hours.
Mark McClelland (to May 2024)	Mr McClelland is a local councillor for Wiltshire Council. Mr McClelland holds a paid role as a Senior Parliamentary Assistant to the Rt Hon John Glen MP. Mr McClelland’s work as a special adviser is a part-time contract and his work as Senior Parliamentary Assistant to the Rt Hon John Glen MP is performed outside these hours.
Myles Stacey (to May 2024)	Mr Stacey is a visiting fellow at Judge Business School, Cambridge University. This position is unpaid.
Rupert Oldham-Reid (to May 2024)	Mr Oldham-Reid holds an unpaid role as a Non-Executive Director at ANA Treatment Centres Ltd.
Sophia Falkner (to May 2024)	Ms Falkner’s mother is the Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). Ms Falkner is recused from involvement in matters relating to the EHRC as a body, and from involvement in meetings concerning the EHRC.
Tim Pitt (to May 2024)	Mr Pitt is recused from matters relating directly to Flint Global or to previous clients for one year prior to being employed by the government.
Tom D’Silva (to May 2024)	Mr D’Silva holds an unpaid role as Director of Avon Strategic Communications. He does not play an active role in the affairs of this organisation.
Will Tanner (to May 2024)	Mr Tanner’s spouse/partner holds a role as Head of Communications at the British Museum. Mr Tanner is recused from discussions that relate to the British Museum.

Labour Administration

Name	Interest
Carys Roberts	Ms Roberts’s spouse/partner is Director of the think tank Common Wealth.
Claire Stewart	Ms Stewart holds a paid role at the Labour Party. Ms Stewart’s work as a special adviser is a part-time contract and the work for the Labour Party is performed outside these hours.
Harvey Redgrave	Mr Redgrave is recused from involvement in discussions or matters relating to Crest Advisory Ltd. Mr Redgrave holds an unpaid role as advisor to Young Futures.
James Lyons	Mr Lyons’s spouse/partner is a journalist with the BBC.
Jason Keen	Mr Keen’s spouse/partner is an MP. Mr Keen is recused from matters relating to his spouse/partner’s constituency.
Joseph Knight	Mr Knight is recused from involvement in discussions or matters relating to creative industries.
Marianna McFadden (to December 2024)	Ms McFadden’s spouse/partner holds a ministerial position in the Cabinet Office.
Matthew Doyle (to March 2025)	Mr Doyle holds an unpaid role as director of MLD Advisory Ltd. During this period he did not play an active role in the affairs of this organisation.
Morgan McSweeney	Mr McSweeney’s spouse/partner is an MP and holds a role as a Parliamentary Private Secretary.
Pete Robbins	Mr Robbins holds a paid role at the Labour Party. Mr Robbins’s work as a special adviser is a part-time contract and the work for the Labour Party is performed outside these hours.
Sophie Nazemi	Ms Nazemi’s spouse/partner is a political commentator.
Stephanie Driver	Ms Driver is director of Stephanie Driver Communications Ltd. This company is not trading.
Sue Gray (to October 2024)	Ms Gray’s son is an MP and holds a role as a Parliamentary Private Secretary.
Thomas Lillywhite (to February 2025)	Mr Lillywhite holds an unpaid role as director of Wilder Digital Ltd. During this period, he did not play an active role in the affairs of this organisation. Mr Lillywhite held an unpaid role as director of 411 Digital Ltd. During this period, Mr Lillywhite did not play an active role in the affairs of this organisation. This company was dissolved in December 2024. Mr Lillywhite held an unpaid role as director of Mosaic X Ltd. During this period, Mr Lillywhite did not play an active role in the affairs of this organisation. This company was dissolved in December 2024.
Tom Webb	Mr Webb holds an unpaid role as a trustee at Eastside Educational Trust.
Varun Chandra	Where organisations or individuals who Mr Chandra worked closely with in previous employment are engaging with the government on issues that he directly advised them on in previous employment, Mr Chandra discloses these to the Cabinet Office. The Cabinet Office agrees specific mitigations which can include recusals.
Vidhya Alakeson	Ms Alakeson holds an unpaid role as director of Labour Party Properties Ltd. She does not play an active role in the affairs of this organisation.