Board Director, ThinkLabour

His Majesty’s Treasury 

8 October 2026

Unpaid appointment with ThinkLabour: Application under the Business Appointment Rules from Baroness Katie Martin, former Chief of Staff to the Chancellor of the Exchequer at His Majesty’s Treasury. 

The Civil Service Commission (the Commission) has considered an application for advice under the Business Appointment Rules (the Rules) from Baroness Katie Martin, formerly Chief of Staff to the Chancellor of the Exchequer at His Majesty’s Treasury (HM Treasury). The application is for an unpaid, part-time role as a Board Director at ThinkLabour. Further detail on the content of the application is in the Annex. The Commission’s advice is required as Baroness Martin is a former special adviser at Special Adviser Pay Band 4. Her last day of service was 17 December 2025.

The purpose of the Rules is to protect the integrity of the government. They aim to avoid any reasonable concerns that: a civil servant may be influenced in their official duties by the risk of reward; a civil servant may improperly exploit access to information; and an organisation may gain an improper influence through the employment of a civil servant.

The Commission’s advice is that the appointment should be made subject to the following conditions: 

1. Privileged information – Baroness Martin should not draw on (disclose or use for the benefit of herself or the persons or organisations to which this advice refers) any privileged information available to her from her time in the Civil Service, which extends to her role as Business Adviser to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and/or any other role where she continues to represent the UK government or its arm’s length bodies.
2. Lobbying – For two years from her last day in the Civil Service, until 17 December 2027, Baroness Martin should not become personally involved in lobbying the UK government or its arm’s length bodies on behalf of ThinkLabour (including parent companies, subsidiaries, partners and clients). She should also not use, directly or indirectly, her contacts in the government and/or Civil Service to influence policy, secure business/funding or otherwise unfairly advantage ThinkLabour (including parent companies, subsidiaries, partners and clients). 
3. Bids and contracts – For two years from her last day in the Civil Service, until 17 December 2027, Baroness Martin should not provide advice to ThinkLabour on a bid or contract relating to the UK government or its arm’s length bodies.

The Rules set out that civil servants must abide by the Commission’s advice. It is Baroness Martin’s personal responsibility to manage the propriety of any appointment and to understand any other rules and regulations she may be subject to in parallel with the Commission’s advice, such as the Registrar of Lords’ Interests and House of Lords Code of Conduct.

The Commission’s jurisdiction and the conditions set out in this letter relate only to the Rules as they apply to Baroness Martin’s former role as Chief of Staff to the Chancellor of the Exchequer at HM Treasury. Any conditions which apply in relation to her Direct Ministerial Appointment role as Business Adviser to the Chancellor of the Exchequer is to be determined by the departments concerned.

Baroness Martin must seek advice if she proposes to extend or otherwise change her role with the organisation. Once this appointment has been publicly announced or taken up, the letter will be published on the Civil Service Commission’s website.

Yours sincerely, 

Gisela Stuart

First Civil Service Commissioner

Annex A: The application

1. According to its website, ThinkLabour (formerly Labour Together) is a think tank associated with the Labour Party.

Applicant assessment

2. As Board Director, Baroness Martin stated she will be responsible for providing appropriate oversight, governance and strategic leadership to ThinkLabour. She will scrutinise the performance of the executive team, monitor the reporting of performance, ensure the integrity and sound nature of the organisation’s finances, systems and processes, and ensure systems of risk management are robust and defensible.

3. Baroness Martin confirmed her role will not involve contact with, or lobbying of, government.

4. As Chief of Staff (Special Adviser) to the Chancellor of the Exchequer at His Majesty’s Treasury (HM Treasury), Baroness Martin served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s most senior political adviser, managing the political team and liaising with external stakeholders. 

5. Baroness Martin stated she has not been responsible for regulatory, funding or any other decisions affecting ThinkLabour at any time in her last two years in the Civil Service.

 Other roles in government

6. Baroness Martin held a direct ministerial appointment as Business Adviser to the Chancellor of the Exchequer until July 2026. She worked directly with the Chancellor of the Exchequer and HM Treasury ministers to strengthen engagement with business leaders across the UK.

The Commission’s analysis

7. Application level. As a Level 1 application for an unpaid role, the Commission’s analysis applies the principle that this category of appointment poses a lower risk to government integrity.

8. Risk of reward. Baroness Martin was not involved in policy, regulatory, or contractual decisions affecting ThinkLabour during her time in post. Additionally, Baroness Martin is a member of the House of Lords for Labour and has been politically affiliated with the Labour Party for a number of years. The Commission also notes that this is an unpaid position. Therefore, the Commission considers that the risk of the appointment being a reward for decisions made in office is therefore low.

9. Access to information. As Chief of Staff to the Chancellor of the Exchequer at the centre of government, Baroness Martin would have been exposed to some privileged information about the government’s legislative and policy programme. The standard privileged information ban mitigates any risks around her access.

10. Improper influence. As Chief of Staff to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Baroness Martin would have a network of contacts in government that could provide an unfair advantage to ThinkLabour. She has stated there will be no contact with government in her proposed role. The risk of the perception of lobbying the government is mitigated by the standard conditions. 

11. The Commission’s jurisdiction. The Commission’s jurisdiction exists solely in relation to the Rules, and the risks associated with Baroness Martin’s former role as Chief of Staff to the Chancellor of the Exchequer. While the Commission notes the potential for conflicts of interest arising from the Direct Ministerial Appointment role previously held by Baroness Martin within HM Treasury, this role is governed by separate departmental conduct frameworks and falls outside the remit of the Commission. Any risks which may arise from other roles are to be managed by the relevant government bodies concerned.