Baroness Martin of Brockley, former chief of staff to Rachel Reeves, has been appointed as a paid strategic adviser to Peel Hunt, a City investment bank. The announcement came as Martin takes on a role aimed at supporting the firm’s expansion within the UK and its collaboration with the London Stock Exchange to promote company flotations.

Martin served as Reeves’s chief of staff from July 2021 until late 2025, subsequently transitioning to a business advisory role until July 2026, when John Healey succeeded Reeves as chancellor. Earlier this year, she was appointed a Labour peer by party leader Sir Keir Starmer, who commended her “strategic leadership in rebuilding Labour’s relationship with business.”

In her part-time capacity at Peel Hunt, Martin will focus on enhancing the bank’s connections with government officials, ministers, and regional authorities. The appointment was reviewed by the Civil Service Commission under business appointment rules applicable to former ministers and senior officials. The commission recommended that Martin refrain from using any privileged information obtained during her civil service tenure and avoid direct lobbying or advising on government contracts until December 2027.

A Treasury assessment indicated there was no suggestion the role constitutes a reward for prior government service. It further noted that most information accessible to Martin in her previous capacities has already been made public.