Lordy Lords

DCMS civil servant Sarah Healey suggests that we might be close to interviews for the next chair of Ofcom. 

Sky News suggests that the final three might be Lord Gilbert of Panteg, Lord Vaizey and Lord Grade. 

I wonder if Michael Simmonds, of Yonder Consulting, née Populus, is still on the interview panel. 

Lord Gilbert was deputy chairman of the Conservative Party before his elevation to the peerage in 2015. Two months later he joined Populus as a consultant. Simmonds founded Populus in 2003, alongside Andrew Cooper, himself elevated to the Lords as Lord Cooper of Windrush in 2014. 

In 2001, Ed Vaizey, alongside Michael Gove and Ian Dale, edited a series of essays "A Blue Tomorrow", to which Michael Simmonds contributed the prescient "Believe in Britain? Britain doesn't believe you!".

Last month Lord Grade re-confirmed his interest in the job:  'I became suspicious of the process, until I realised Sue Gray was back in charge of the appointment after her Partygate exertions'.