A former Conservative minister has accused the government of blacklisting dissenters in contests for senior public jobs, after claiming she was overlooked for high-profile roles at Ofcom and the Charity Commission.
Anna Soubry, whose ministerial career ran from 2012 to 2016 and spanned three departments, told the Guardian she believed her opposition to Brexit and criticism of the prime minister, Boris Johnson, meant her applications for the jobs were ignored.
The former TV journalist, who now works as a criminal defense barrister in the East Midlands after losing her Commons seat in December 2019, said she was not called for an interview for jobs as the chair of the broadcasting regulator Ofcom, or the chair of the Charity Commission. Both appointments are made by ministers.
She said she had also been overlooked for a non-executive director role at Channel 4. The recruitment process is managed by Ofcom with the final decision made by ministers, the regulator said.
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