- Sadiq appoints new Mayoral advisors to help drive forward London’s recovery from pandemic
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today announced key senior appointments who will work with him to drive forward London’s recovery from the pandemic and create a fairer, more equal and more prosperous city.
Sadiq has made ‘jobs, jobs, jobs’ a top priority for his second term in office and has vowed to do everything he can to put young Londoners at the heart of the capital’s recovery.
The Mayor confirmed his intention for all of his Deputy Mayors and Special Appointments from his first term in office to remain in place.*
Deputy Mayors
- Deputy Mayor for Transport - Heidi Alexander
- Deputy Mayor for Business - Rajesh Agrawal
- Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy - Shirley Rodrigues
- Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime - Sophie Linden
- Deputy Mayor for Housing and Residential Development - Tom Copley
- Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries – Justine Simons
- Deputy Mayor for Fire and Resilience and Chair of the London Resilience Forum - Fiona Twycross
- Deputy Mayor for Planning, Regeneration and Skills – Jules Pipe
- Deputy Mayor for Communities and Social Justice – Debbie Weekes-Bernard
- Statutory Deputy Mayor, Deputy Mayor for Education and Childcare – Joanne McCartney
Special Appointments
- Night Czar - Amy Lamé
- Walking and Cycling Commissioner - Will Norman
- Mayoral Health Advisor - Dr Tom Coffey
- Victims Commissioner - Claire Waxman
- Chief Digital Officer - Theo Blackwell
- Director of Violence Reduction Unit - Lib Peck
The Mayor has also appointed a new team of senior advisors to help him deliver on his pledges.
The team comprises:
- Chief of Staff - David Bellamy
- Deputy Chief of Staff - Richard Watts
- Mayoral Director for Political and Public Affairs - Felicity Appleby
- Mayoral Director for Operations - Ali Picton
- Mayoral Director for Communications - Sarah Brown
Richard Watts is currently Leader of Islington Council. He has confirmed his intention to stand down from Islington Council following their annual meeting on 20 May in order to take up his new role. As part of his new responsibilities, he will chair the London Recovery Taskforce, working with London’s boroughs and other partners to drive London’s recovery from the impact of Covid-19.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I am delighted to announce these key appointments to my top team. I look forward to working with them to deliver a better and brighter future for everyone who calls this amazing, diverse city home.
“I pledge to use this second term to do everything I can to build the bridges that bring us closer together and I will work tirelessly throughout the next three years with my team to deliver for all Londoners.”
Notes to editors
*The appointment of Sophie Linden as Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is subject to a confirmation hearing by the Assembly Policing and Crime Committee.
*The appointment of Fiona Twycross as Statutory Deputy Mayor for Fire and Resilience is subject to a confirmation hearing by the London Assembly.
* The appointment of Heidi Alexander as Deputy Chair of the TfL Board is subject to a confirmation hearing by the London Assembly.
Sadiq Khan will continue serve as the Chair of the TfL Board.
Richard Watts has lived in Islington since 1998. He served as Executive Member for Children and Families on Islington Council from May 2010 and Executive Member for Finance and Performance from May 2013 until becoming Council Leader in October 2013. Richard is also the Chair of the Local Government Association’s Resources Board, representing the interests of local authorities at a national level.
Before becoming a full-time member of the Council Executive, Richard ran the Children's Food Campaign, a national campaign to improve children's diets. He graduated with a degree in politics from Durham University.