Sir Peter John Robert RiddellCBE (born 14 October 1948) is a British journalist and author. He worked for theFinancial Times from 1970 to 1991. From April 2016 to September 2021 he served as the British government'sCommissioner for Public Appointments, and is the former director of theInstitute for Government.

Riddell was born inTorquay,Devon on 14 October 1948.^[1] His father, a solicitor, served in theRAF duringWorld War II. Riddell lived inStreatham,London during his early life. He attendedDulwich College^[2] and graduated fromSidney Sussex College, Cambridge with aBA in history and economics and anMA.^[1]

Riddell married Avril in 1994. They have one daughter, born in 1996.^[1]

Riddell joined theFinancial Times (FT) in 1970. He was property correspondent in the early 1970s and economics correspondent in the late 1970s, covering events such as the1976 IMF crisis. He became theFT's political editor in 1981, at the age of 33.^[2] He was US editor and Washington bureau chief at theFT between 1989 and 1991, when he left the newspaper.^[3] From 1991 to 2010, he was a political commentator forThe Times, of which he was also an assistant editor.^[4]

He has been a member of theHansard Society council since 1996 and was its chair from 2007 until 2012.^[3] He was a senior fellow at theInstitute for Government from 2008 until 2011, and beginning in January 2012 he was its director.^[5]

On 6 July 2010, the Prime Minister,David Cameron, announced that Riddell would be one of three members of an inquiry to determine whetherBritish intelligence officers were complicit in the torture of detainees, including those from theGuantanamo Bay detention camp or subject torendition flights.^[5]

On 20 April 2016, theCabinet Office announced that Riddell would replaceSir David Normington as the newCommissioner for Public Appointments.^[6] His term, which was initially due to expire at the end of April 2021, was extended until the end of September 2021.^[2]

As part of his work on the torture enquiry, in 2010 Riddell was appointed to thePrivy Council to permit easier access to secret information, entitling him to the style "The Right Honourable".^[5]

On 25 November 2010, Riddell was awarded thePresident's Medal by theBritish Academy "for an outstanding record as the producer of an informed picture of the inner workings of Whitehall, high politics and the party battle".^[7]

Riddell was appointedCommander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the2012 Birthday Honours for services to journalism and for public service.^[8] He wasknighted in the2022 New Year Honours for public service.^[9]

• The Thatcher Government (1983),ISBN 978-0-631-14519-6
• The Thatcher Decade (1989),ISBN 978-0-631-16274-2
• The Thatcher Era and Its Legacy (1991),ISBN 978-0-631-18268-9
• Honest Opportunism: The Rise of the Career Politician (1993),ISBN 978-0-575-40039-9
• Parliament Under Pressure (1997),ISBN 978-0-575-06435-5
• Parliament Under Blair (2000),ISBN 978-1-902301-60-0
• Blair Government (2002),ISBN 978-1-902301-74-7
• Hug Them Close: Blair, Clinton, Bush and the 'Special Relationship' (2004),ISBN 978-1-84275-118-3
• The Unfulfilled Prime Minister: Tony Blair's Quest for a Legacy(2006),ISBN 978-1-84275-168-8
• In Defence of Politicians (in Spite of Themselves) (2011),ISBN 978-1-84954-037-7
• The Power of Judges (2018),ISBN 978-1912208234
• 15 Minutes of Power: The Uncertain Life of British Ministers (2019),ISBN 978-1788162180

• Institute for Government blog - Peter Riddell's posts
• Hansard Society
• Appearances onC-SPAN

• 1948 births
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