Secretary of State announces the appointment of a new Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner

The Secretary of State has today, 18 December, announced the new NI Veterans Commissioner.

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Right Honourable Hilary Benn MP, has announced the appointment of David Johnstone as the new Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner.

Background

The Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioners Office was established in September 2020 to provide a voice for veterans living in Northern Ireland to ensure fairness and safe access to services.

Terms of Appointment

The appointment will commence on 1 January 2025 until 31 August 2026.

• The position is a part-time appointment.
• The position attracts a fixed remuneration of £306 per day plus expenses, with an expectation of a time requirement of 110 days per year.  
• The position is not pensionable.

Biography

David Johnstone formerly served as an Officer in the Royal Irish Regiment (Reserves) from 1988 to 2014, including operational deployment in Iraq. He currently holds the position of Chief Vision Officer at PropFundrs, a Property Developer Consultancy Firm and formerly Chief Executive Officer of an online property platform, a role that required him to be a Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Approved Person. David also currently has a senior executive role in local football.

Regulation

This appointment is not regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

Political Activity

All appointments are made on merit and with regards to the statutory requirements.  Political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees' political activity in defined categories to be made public. David Johnstone has not declared any political activity.