CWGC welcomes Chris Evans MP and The Rt Hon Tom Tugendhat MBE VR MP as Commissioners

New Commissioners Chris Evans MP and Tom Tugendhat MP

We are delighted to announce that, following the signing of Royal Warrant by His Majesty The King, Chris Evans MP and Tom Tugendhat MP have today joined the CWGC as Commissioners.

CWGC Commissioners form the Board that governs delivery of our mission to honour and care for the 1.7 million men and women of the Commonwealth who died in the two world wars. The structure of the commission includes two representatives who are serving members of the UK Parliament, one from the party of Government and one from His Majesty’s Official Opposition.

Chirs Evans MP has been the Labour MP for Caerphilly since 2024 and was formerly MP for Islwyn between 2010 and 2024. Before becoming an MP, he was a trade union official with the Union of Finance Staff. Chris has written several books with the latest ‘Football Battalions - the elite footballers who fought in the Great War’ to be published in October 2025. He has served as Shadow Minister for defence procurement, social security, and digital economy and technology. Chris is the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Groups on Archives and History, and Writers.

The Rt Hon Tom Tugendhat MBE VR MP has been the Conservative MP for Tonbridge since 2015. Before entering politics Tom served in the British Army’s Intelligence Corps, deploying on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. He also worked for the Foreign Office. On his return to the UK, Tom was appointed Military Assistant to the Chief of the Defence Staff. In Parliament he has chaired the Foreign Affairs Committee and joined the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy. Tom was appointed to the Cabinet in 2022 and joined HM The King’s Privy Council, serving as Security Minister from 2022 to 2024.

Chris and Tom’s wealth of knowledge and experience will be invaluable in helping our Board of Commissioners oversee our strategic direction and performance and help raise the profile of the CWGC in the UK Parliament.

We would like to take the opportunity to thank our former MP Commissioners The Rt Hon Philip Dunne and The Rt Hon Dame Diana Johnson DBE MP who have been outstanding ambassadors and champions of the Commission during their tenures. They have been much valued sources of advice and guidance, and we look forward to working with Chris and Tom on the same basis.