Lord Browne, the former chief executive of BP, and Sir John Egan are among the latest names to be suggested to the business and innovation department for the role of chief construction adviser

Building understands that a leading industry body is to submit the two names to the ministry, alongside a raft of others including Andrew Wolstenholme, the former construction director at BAA, Ian Andrews, the former chief executive of Defence Estates, and David Fison, the former chief executive of Skanska, who is presently chief executive of contractor Osborne.

The group said Browne topped the list because of his procurement experience and his position as an industry outsider, which would give him an independent voice. Browne, who repositioned BP as a champion of green technology, quit in 2007 following a scandal involving his alleged boyfriend Jeff Chevalier.

Egan became a household name in the industry after the publication in 1998 of his Rethinking Construction report. Sir Michael Latham – seen by some as a forerunner to Egan – has also been touted for the £120,000-a-year job. Mavis McDonald, chair of the Public Sector Construction Clients Forum, has also been suggested.

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