PROFESSOR Anjali Goswami has been appointed the new Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
She will take over the role on July 1, 2025, succeeding Professor Gideon Henderson, who is stepping down after six years.
Goswami is currently a Research Leader in Evolutionary Biology at the Natural History Museum. She has served as President of the Linnean Society of London and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2024.
She has held positions including Dean of Postgraduate Education at the Natural History Museum and Professor of Palaeobiology at UCL.
Her research focuses on vertebrate evolution and development, using mathematical approaches to study biodiversity.
Her awards include the Linnean Society Bicentenary Medal, Zoological Society of London Scientific Medal, Hind Rattan Award, Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Robert L Carroll Award, Palaeontological Association President’s Medal, and the Humanists UK Darwin Day Medal.
Defra Permanent Secretary Tamara Finkelstein thanked Professor Henderson for his leadership and welcomed Goswami, stating she brings “a wealth of knowledge and expertise.”
Secretary of State Steve Reed said, “I welcome Professor Goswami and look forward to working with her as this government secures Britain’s future under the Plan for Change.”
Goswami said she looked forward to joining Defra at a critical time, adding, “There is immense scientific innovation that can support Defra’s mission.”
Henderson said, “It’s been a challenging but hugely enjoyable privilege to be the Chief Scientific Adviser at Defra for the last six years.” He added, “I am pleased to hand over to Anjali who will be a great leader of Defra’s scientific community.”
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. (Representational image: iStock)
FBU chief raises concern over rise in racist online posts by union members
THE FIRE Brigades Union (FBU) and other trade unions are increasingly concerned about a rise in racist and bigoted online comments by their own members and officials, according to Steve Wright, the FBU’s new general secretary, speaking to the Guardian.
Wright said internal inquiries have revealed dozens of cases involving members using racist slurs or stereotypes, often aimed at asylum seekers.
He said similar issues were reported in other unions, prompting a joint campaign to counter false narratives around immigration and race promoted by far-right groups online.
“People with far-right views are becoming more brazen in what they do on social media, and I’ve witnessed it with my own union around disciplinary cases and the rhetoric of some of our own members,” Wright said to the newspaper.
He added, “Some of our members and sometimes our reps have openly made comments which are racist and bigoted. In my time in the fire service, that has gone up.”
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. A formal statement addressing far-right narratives will be launched at the union’s annual conference in Blackpool next month.
Wright cited the influence of social media and figures like Donald Trump and Nigel Farage as factors contributing to these incidents. “It feels like an itch that we’ve got to scratch,” he said.
The FBU barred a former official last year for allegedly endorsing racist content on X, including posts from Britain First and Tommy Robinson.
Wright also warned that the union could strike if the government moves to cut frontline fire services.