Former Electoral Commission chief Peter Wardle has been named as the next chair of the Civil Service Club, succeeding Sir Peter Housden, who has retired.
Housden, who was permanent secretary to the Scottish Government from 2010 to 2015, left the position earlier this year following a six-year tenure as chair of the club on Great Scotland Yard, just off Whitehall.
During his 20-year career in the civil service, Wardle held positions at the Department of Education and Science, the Cabinet Office and the Inland Revenue. He then served as chief executive of the Electoral Commission from 2004 to 2015, later acting as an expert adviser and electoral observer for the Commonwealth and other organisations overseas.
The Civil Service Club offers facilities for current and former civil servants, working in or visiting London, and hosts a wide variety of meetings and private functions.
“The Civil Service Club has bounced back after the Covid lockdown as the social hub for all civil servants,” Wardle said. “We offer an informal, friendly place to enjoy good food and drink, a full programme of events and great overnight accommodation.”
Wardle expressed his excitement at the prospect of collaborating with its general manager, Paul Taylor, as well as the other committee members. “I hope that many more civil servants will come along to see what we have to offer,” he added.