Ashdown and Clarke join the board of The Independent

Independent News and Media, owner of The Independent and The Independent on Sunday , announced yesterday that Paddy Ashdown MP and Kenneth Clarke MP would be joining its United Kingdom board of directors.

Independent News and Media, owner of The Independent and The Independent on Sunday , announced yesterday that Paddy Ashdown MP and Kenneth Clarke MP would be joining its United Kingdom board of directors.

Brendan Hopkins, chief executive officer of Independent News and Media (UK), said: "I am delighted to welcome Paddy Ashdown and Ken Clarke to our board. They are both men of immense political stature and have a range of abilities and experience that will strengthen and complement our existing board."

Mr Ashdown said: "I am looking forward to helping to build the strength of The Independent as a truly independent newspaper within a fast-growing UK group."

The appointments coincide with the decision to relocate the group's UK businesses, including both Independent titles, to their own building in London's Docklands, representing a £50m investment. Mr Hopkins added: "This is a dynamic period of growth for our UK group. In particular, the Independent titles continue to outperform expectations on both advertising and circulation. October circulation figures for both papers are expected to be the highest for two years."