After seven years as a member of the Civil Aviation Authority's Consumer Panel, my appointment came to an end in March 2026. The Consumer Panel is an independent body that acts as a critical friend to the CAA, advising on matters affecting aviation consumers. Its work spans airline insolvency and passenger rights, airport economic regulation, accessibility, and the development of price control frameworks for Heathrow and NATS. The breadth is wider than it might sound - over s

My appointment as a specialist panel member at the Competition and Markets Authority came to an end this month with the publication of the PR24 water redeterminations. I joined the panel in October 2017. My eight-year term expired in October 2025, but was extended to allow me to complete the PR24 process - something I was glad to do. The CMA panel is an unusual institution. It sits at arm's length from the CMA's executive, convened case by case to make final decisions in Phas

The Government's consultation on changes to the UK competition regime closed on 31 March 2026. The centrepiece of the proposal - the replacement of the CMA's independent panel with a Board sub-committee - would, if implemented, represent the most significant structural reform of the CMA since its establishment. Having left the panel last month after eight years as a specialist member, I want to say something about what is actually at stake. The current system keeps a structur