Department for Transport permanent secretary Jo Shanmugalingam, newly-appointed ambassador to the US Christian Turner and UK permanent representative to the United Nations in New York Barbara Woodward are among the officials saluted in the latest New Year Honours.
Well over 100 civil servants and diplomats are included in the 2026 New Year Honours – as part of a wider cohort of more than 1,200 recipients on the domestic and overseas lists.
Woodward has led the UK Mission’s work at the UN since 2020. Prior to that she was ambassador to the People’s Republic of China. Already a Dame Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George, her latest honour elevates her to Dame Grand Cross of the order – and is the single highest accolade awarded to an official in the current batch.
Turner, who was announced as prime minister Sir Kier Starmer’s choice as the UK’s next permanent ambassador to the US last month – in the wake of Peter Mandelson’s sacking, gets a knighthood.
Being made a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George recognises Turner’s service in advancing UK foreign policy and international relations “during some of the most challenging global events in recent years”.
Turner most recently served as director general for geopolitics and political director at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. He is also a former deputy national security adviser and a past high commissioner to Pakistan.
Simon Manley, former UK permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva, is also made a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George, in recognition of his “outstanding 35-year diplomatic career”.
DfT perm sec Shanmugalingam is one eight officials made a Companion of the Order of the Bath – or CB for short. It is an honour just one level below that of a dame or knight in the category, which specifically recognises government officials and military leaders.
The honour crowns a year in which Shanmugalingam landed her first role as top departmental official, following the retirement of Dame Bernadette Kelly.
Shanmugalingam’s fellow CB recipients include Department for Work and Pensions directors general Sophie Dean and Katherine Green; Colum Boyle, permanent secretary of Northern Ireland’s Department for Communities; and Daljit Singh Rehal, chief digital information officer at HM Revenue and Customs.
Elsewhere in the honours, former Government Communication Service chief executive Simon Baugh is made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in recognition of his comms work.
Dan Corry, who was head of the No.10 Policy Unit under prime minister Gordon Brown and who recently led an independent review into the regulatory landscape overseen by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, is made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
Former minister Anneliese Dodds, who resigned from the government last year over planned cuts to the foreign aid budget, is made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire for political and parliamentary services.
Outside of government and politics, actor and activist Idris Elba has been given a knighthood for services to young people. Olympic gold-medal-winning ice skaters Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean are made a dame and a knight respectively for services to ice skating and voluntary service.
Here is the full list of civil servants in the 2026 New Year Honours
Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George
- Dame Barbara Woodward DCMG OBE. UK permanent representative to the United Nations, UK Mission to the United Nations, New York. For services to British foreign policy
Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
- Simon Manley CMG, UK permanent representative to the United Nations, Geneva. For services to British foreign policy
- Dr Christian Turner CMG, lately director general, geopolitics, and political director, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. For services to British foreign policy
Companion of the Order of the Bath
- Colum Boyle, permanent secretary, Department for Communities, Northern Ireland Civil Service. For public service
- Dr Richard William John Clarke, director general, Public Safety Group, Home Office. For public service
- Sophie Dean, director general, Department for Work and Pensions. For public service
- Katherine Green, director general, Department for Work and Pensions. For public service
- Nicholas Joyce, director general, Corporate Delivery Group, Department for Transport. For services to transport
- Daljit Singh Rehal, chief digital information officer, HM Revenue and Customs. For services to technology and to public service
- Andrew Charles Scott, second parliamentary counsel, Office of the Parliamentary Counsel, Cabinet Office. For services to government and the legislative process
- Joanna Elizabeth Clare Shanmugalingam. Lately second permanent secretary, Department for Transport. For services to transport and innovation
Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Officers of the Order of the British Empire
- Olukemi Helen Ademola, quality assurance performance specialist, Department for Work and Pensions. For public service
- Jeffrey David Asser, assistant director, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. For services to the North Sea transition
- Debbie Elizabeth Bartlett, lately deputy director, protect and prepare, Home Office. For public service
- Allison Elizabeth Booth, deputy director, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. For services to national security
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Senay Bulbul, political counsellor, British Embassy Washington, United States of America. For services to British foreign policy
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Robbie Bulloch, lately director Gibraltar negotiations, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. For services to Gibraltar negotiations with the European Commission and Spain
- Sarah Jane Burton, head of detention Progression Returns Command, Home Office. For public service
- Elizabeth Pamela Checkley, deputy director for Legal Aid, Policy Group, Ministry of Justice. For services to access to iustice
- Teresa Clay, head of local government and fire pensions, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. For public service
- Carol Ann Copstick, head of inspection, Education Scotland. For services to education
- Daniel Richard Corry, lately Lead, independent review of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs regulatory landscape. For public service
- Nadine Jane Davies, group Director for Wales and the Marches, Department for Work and Pensions. For public service
- Samantha De Souza (Samantha Dowling), programme director, economic crime and cyber crime research and analysis, Home Office. For public service
- Nicholas Paul David Fowler, head of central resilience command, Home Office. For services to the protection of children
- John Edward Gormley, lately governor HM Prison The Mount, HM Prison and Probation Service. For public service
- Simon Grunwell, deputy director, Covert Operations Digital Exploitation. For public service
- Charlotte Hodges, principal forensic psychologist, HM Prison Isle of Wight, HM Prison and Probation Service. For services to rehabilitation in a prison setting
- Louise Holliday, deputy director, Home Office. For services to national security
- Joe William Homshaw, team leader, Ministry of Defence. For services to defence
- Catherine Inglehearn MBE, British ambassador to Niger. For services to British foreign policy
- Helen Jacklin, team leader, Ministry of Defence. For services to defence
- Dr Wyn Gwilym Jones, prison director and governor, HM Prison Fosse Way, HM Prison and Probation Service. For public service
- Colette Marion Kane, director, Northern Ireland Audit Office and Local Government Auditor. For services to the Northern Ireland Audit Office
- Stephen John Kerr, director, social security, the Scottish Government. For services to public service reform
- Sarah Lee, deputy director, education, employment and skills, HM Prison and Probation Service. For public service
- John Kingsley Maiden, deputy head operational spending, Ministry of Defence. For services to defence
- Nicola Marfleet, lately governing governor, HM Prison Woodhill, HM Prison and Probation Service. For public service
- Jayne Louise McCann, deputy director, participation, Department for Business and Trade. For services to employment rights
- Alison McEwen, lately British deputy consul general, British Consulate-General Jerusalem. For services to British foreign policy
- Aled Miles, Welsh Government envoy to the United States of America. For services to the economy and the promotion of the Welsh technology sector
- Samantha Molyneux, team leader, Ministry of Defence. For services to defence
- James Anthony Nichols, deputy head of centre, Ministry of Defence. For services to defence
- Richard Michael Nixon, team leader, Operations Directorate, Defence Equipment and Support. For services to defence
- Phillip Alexander Patterson, lately sector specialist, Department for Business and Trade. For services to export and to the music industry
- Charlotte Pierre, lately British high commissioner to Mauritius. For services to British foreign policy
- Robert Steven Razzell, lately chief financial officer, UK Government Investments. For services to public finance and to defence
- James Patrick Reville, lately community resilience manager, Community Resilience, Civil Contingencies Division, Scottish Government. For services to community resilience in Scotland
- Michael Robbins, team leader, Ministry of Defence. For services to defence
- Vivien Sanders, principal officer, Cabinet Office. For public service
- Narinder Kaur Shergill, security advisor, Serious Fraud Office. For services to the administration of justice
- Jeanette Margaret Smart, lately Development Officer, Food for Thought Education Fund, Education Scotland. For services to food and health education
- Francis Edwin Stuart, head of employee relations, HM Prison and Probation Service. For public service
- Katherine Amelia Stuart, team leader, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. For services to British foreign policy
- Richard James Grenville Turfitt, traffic commissioner, East of England and lately senior traffic commissioner. For services to road safety and justice
- Rory Wallacem, deputy director, steel sector, Department for Business and Trade. For services to the steel industry
- Gavin Webb, officer, National Crime Agency. For services to law enforcement
- Owen Huw Williams, team leader, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. For services to British foreign policy
- Thomas Woodcock, team leader, Ministry of Defence. For services to defence Team Leader, Ministry of Defence.
Members of the Order of the British Empire
Medallists of the Order of the British Empire
- Jordyn Aiden Jones Bond, senior scientist, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Ministry of Defence. For services to defence
- Alexander Canham, former head, corporate services and British consul, British Embassy Tehran, Iran. For services to British foreign policy
- Lee-Anne Chapman, senior marketing manager, the Scottish Government. For services to autistic people living in Scotland
- Peter David Clark, head of 16-19 funding and financial support policy, Department for Education. For services to further education
- Lee Edgar Davidson, desk officer, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. For services to British foreign policy
- Julie Fitzpatrick, project manager, Department for Work and Pensions. For services to local and national cancer care
- Clare Goodall, lately diary secretary to the British high commissioner to Pakistan. For services to British foreign policy
- Mary Hampson, lately Probation Service officer, Probation Board for Northern Ireland. For services to community safety
- Charlotte Anne Luckett, principal surveyor, Valuation Office Agency. For public service and to charity
- Prof David Campbell James Main, lately chair, Animals in Science Committee, Home Office. For services to animal welfare
- Jonathan McNee, senior marine officer, Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Northern Ireland). For voluntary service to military aviation archaeology in Northern Ireland
- Susan Lynne Raymond, interview manager, Office for National Statistics. For services to statistics
- Jonathan Ross Tear, head of public body reviews, Department for Transport. For services to diversity and inclusion, and to charity
- Darren Wallace, clerk of works, Tenax, British Embassy Djibouti. For services to UK overseas infrastructure projects
Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George
- Benjamin Fender OBE, Director Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. For services to British foreign policy
- Max Gandell OBE, senior overseas security adviser, Estates, Security and Network Directorate, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. For services to UK security overseas
- Stephen Hickey, director Middle East and North Africa, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. For services to British foreign policy
- Bethan Hopkins, director, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. For services to national security
- Debbie Palmer, director, energy, climate and environment, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. For services to international development.
- George Williamson, director, HMGCC. For services to national security.
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