Who is Lord Udny-Lister?

Edward Julian Udny-Lister is a special adviser to the UK government, a political strategist and former politician. 

One of Boris Johnson’s closest aides, Udny-Lister served as Downing Street chief of staff from 2019 to 2021, primarily advising on strategy. He was the deputy mayor of London for policy and planning between 2011 and 2016 – when he was better known as Eddie Lister – working alongside Johnson during his tenure as mayor.   

Lister has expertise in public policy and regeneration, having facilitated large-scale urban regeneration schemes as deputy mayor and coordinated the public-private-partnerships responsible for delivering them. 

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In June 2016, Lister was appointed as chairman of Homes England, the UK’s housing delivery body, which holds and manages land – including overseeing sales to private developers – to help meet the government’s housebuilding targets. He held that role for three years until 2019.  

Prior to that, he was the leader of Wandsworth Council from 1992 to 2011. Lister has also served as chairman of the Old Oak Common Development Corporation, which worked to regenerate land close to London’s Paddington Station. 

In February 2021, Lister was appointed as a special envoy for the Gulf, building on his previous work with the UK FCO. Two months later, he stood down, amid UK press reports about conflicting business interests. Today Lister is co-chairman of UAE-UK with the prominent Emirati Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh.