The 2024 General Election saw several IPT Fellows stand down from Parliament. Whilst many had completed their Fellowships, other Fellowships were still ongoing when Parliament was dissolved and we are grateful to each and every one of these parliamentarians for engaging in our work and we hope they found their fellowship experiences valuable and rewarding. Here, we take the opportunity to look back on the varied Fellowship Programmes of those standing down from Parliament as we wish them all the best for the future.
Julie Elliott:
Julie was the Labour MP for Sunderland Central from 2010 to 2024. During her time in Parliament, she served on the Shadow Front Bench, the DCMS Select Committee and numerous All-Party Groups. In 2022, Julie completed her IPT Fellowship focused on the UK’s vibrant cultural and creative industries, with a particular focus on social inclusion and regeneration. During her Fellowship she spent time with several leading voices in the creatives space, including the Museum of London, ITV, the National Theatre, the BBC and Historic Royal Palaces.
Dr Phillippa Whitford
Phillippa was the SNP MP for Central Ayrshire from 2015 until standing down in 2024. During her parliamentary career, Philippa served as the SNP spokesperson on a variety of policy areas including Health and Social Care and Europe. Philippa’s Fellowship focused on UK Aerospace and how the sector works relating to airport management, airlines, commercial aerospace and aviation control. During her programme she visited a variety of aerospace manufacturers and aviation sites including Heathrow Airport, Thales, Reaction Engines, Airbus and Spirit AeroSystems.
Henry Smith
Henry Smith was the Conservative MP for Crawley from 2010 to 2024. Henry’s time in Parliament saw him sit on numerous committees such as the Foreign Affairs Committee and contribute to a number of Bill Committees including the Animal (Penalty Notices) Bill and the Local Government (Pay Accountability) Bill. Henry’s Fellowship focused on the work being done to decarbonize British Aviation, including Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), Hydrogen aircraft and the future of aviation.
Other departing IPT Fellows:
Conservative
Royston Smith – Fellowship in Construction Skills
Stephen McPartland – Fellowship in Technology and Cyber Security
Henry Smith – Fellowship in Sustainable Aviation
Sir James Duddridge KCMG – Fellowship in innovation across industry
Lisa Cameron – Fellowship in Retail and Fashion
Sir Robert Goodwill – Company Fellowship
Robin Walker – Fellowship in the Extractive Industries
Richard Bacon – Fellowship in Housebuilding
Sir Paul Beresford – Company Fellowship
Pauline Latham – Fellowship in Corporate Responsibility, International Development and Extractive Industries
John Howell – Fellowship in the Legal Sector
Labour
Yvonne Fovargue – Fellowship in Food and Drink Manufacturing
Barry Sheerman – Company FellowshipIan Mearns – Fellowship in Engineering and Manufacturing
Kevan Jones – Fellowship in the Aviation Industry
Kevin Brennan – Fellowship in the Music Industry
SNP
Patrick Grady – Fellowship in the Creative Industries, Manufacturing and Engineering
Douglas Chapman – Fellowships in exports, skills and productivity