MPs endorse Ian Cheshire Ofcom chair appointment
May 22, 2026

By Colin Mann



The Science, Innovation and Technology Committee of the UK House of Commons has endorsed the government’s preferred candidate, Sir Ian Cheshire, as the new chair of media and communications regulator Ofcom.

The cross-party committee has produced a report setting out its endorsement of Sir Ian after holding a pre-appointment hearing on Wednesday May 20th.


During the hearing, members asked Sir Ian about his motivation for the role, his background and experience, and his understanding of Ofcom’s work. The committee also questioned Sir Ian on his priorities for the regulator and the role of Chair, as well as the upcoming challenges that the regulator was likely to face.

Chair of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, Dame Chi Onwurah MP, said: “Ofcom’s primary duty is to the British public. To be an effective regulator, and to tackle complex, urgent and fast-changing issues like online safety, it needs strong, capable and proactive leadership.”

“Following our pre-appointment hearing, the committee is satisfied that Sir Ian Cheshire has the skills and experience required to chair the regulator. However, we are clear that Sir Ian should prioritise improving his knowledge of the UK’s online safety landscape, to represent the regulator in difficult discussions with global tech companies and effectively enforce the Online Safety Act.”

“Sir Ian told my committee that, once appointed, he will identify metrics to evaluate his performance by the end of his first year in office. Given Ofcom’s high-profile and broad remit, and the role of Parliament in holding regulators and their leadership to account, we hope to receive these within his first six months, as part of a wider programme of much-needed change at Ofcom.”