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Commons Briefing paper by Richard Kelly. It was first published on Monday, 3 December 2012. It was last updated on Wednesday, 22 July 2026.


Appointment of the IPSA Board

Members of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) Board are appointed in accordance with the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009.

The act provides for the IPSA Board to have a chair and four other members (including a former MP, an auditor and a former holder of high judicial office).

How are IPSA Board members appointed?

All IPSA Board members are appointed by the Monarch on an address of the House of Commons. They are selected by the Speaker of the House of Commons, with the agreement of the Speaker’s Committee on the IPSA (SCIPSA), following a fair and open competition.

In November 2025, the House of Commons agreed the appointment of two new members to the IPSA Board, following a report from SCIPSA that was published on 27 October 2025.

On 13 July 2026, Richard Lloyd was re-appointed as chair of the IPSA Board for a further three years from 1 September 2026. Following a recruitment exercise for IPSA Board members, the Speaker recommended the reappointment of Richard Lloyd as Chair of IPSA for a further three years from 1 September 2026. SCIPSA agreed with the Speaker’s recommendation.

Who are the current members of the board?

The members, qualifications and terms of the IPSA Board are:

  • Richard Lloyd, Chair. He was appointed to the board from 1 December 2018, for five years. He became interim Chair on 11 October 2019, following the resignation of Ruth Evans. He remained interim Chair until his appointment as Chair, from 1 September 2021, for five years. In 2026, he was re-appointed for three years, until 31 August 2029.
  • Lea Paterson, from 14 March 2022, for five years.
  • Dame Laura Cox, former holder of high judicial office, from 1 August 2023 to 31 July 2028.
  • Sir Charles Walker, former MP (Conservative), from 1 January 2026, for five years.
  • Manbhinder (Cliff) Rana, auditor member, from 11 January 2026, for five years.

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Secondary information

Type
Research briefing
Reference
SN06489 
Related items
Subjects
House of Commons Recruitment Membership Public appointments Former members Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
Legislation
Parliamentary Standards Act 2009
Published by
Parliament and Constitution Centre
House of Commons Library
Link
View this Research briefing on researchbriefings.parliament.uk