Ofcom reported to have picked another civil servant as new boss

There was a time when some degree of telecoms expertise was considered a desirable quality in a prospective head of Ofcom, but that is long gone.

According to a report from the Guardian, former civil service Permanent Secretary Sharon White will be replaced as Chief Exec by former civil service Permanent Secretary Melanie Dawes if Ofcom has its way. While the appointment is made by the Ofcom board, it needs to be approved by the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. Since we’re not sure who that will be by the end of the year, Ofcom would apparently prefer to keep its choice quiet until after the General Election.

We asked Ofcom for comment, but were given the standard line about not responding to rumour and speculation, which was expected. We were pointed towards today’s official announcement that Ofcom board member and Chief Exec of the UK Regulators Network will be keeping the seat warm for Dawes, or whoever, until the UK political dust settles a bit. Oxley has ruled himself out of taking the gig permanently.

The Guardian quoted some random anonymous person who they say knows Dawes as calling her ‘a safe pair of hands’ and we have no reason to doubt this mysterious insider. That’s presumably why senior civil servants are now preferred to people with industry expertise – the government doesn’t want Ofcom getting funny ideas about policy and that sort of thing. Just keep quiet and do what you’re told, there’s a good regulator.