Toombs (pictured) was previously a director at qual agency Cragg Ross Dawson and has led strategic, communications, behavioural insight and policy evaluation projects for government departments including the Ministry of Justice, the Home Office, the Department for Transport and the Department for Culture Media and Sport.

He will report to executive director Darren Bhattachary, who said: “Having consulted with various government stakeholders, as well as regularly debriefed public sector directors and government ministers on policy issues, Ben will be in a strong position to work with TNS-BMRB’s public sector clients and to challenge them to look at the best ways to get to the heart of social and political issues.”