Michael Hirst OBE (pictured), chair of the UK Events Industry Board and Executive Committee members of the BVEP has been appointed to the DMO Challenge Panel following the UK government’s announcement last month on an independent review into Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) across England.
The review, which will take place over the next three months, will look at how DMOs are funded and structured and how they perform their roles. This will help the Government to understand whether there is a more efficient and effective model for supporting English tourism at a regional level, and if so what it might look like.
Last modified on Thu 11 Feb 2021 00.11 EST
The head of the civil service has been urged to investigate the appointment of a former Conservative MP and campaign manager for Boris Johnson as head of the Office for Students, with Labour calling the move “another example of cronyism”.
James Wharton, who was an MP from 2010 to 2017 and is now a Conservative peer, was appointed to head the independent regulator of higher education in England despite having no experience of the sector.
A solicitor who later worked in the lobbying industry, Wharton represented Stockton South and held junior ministerial roles under David Cameron and Theresa May. Once out of parliament, in 2019, he was campaign manager for Johnson when he became Tory leader. He is also close to Gavin Williamson, the education secretary.