Digby jones biography

Digby Jones, Baron Jones of Birmingham

British businessman and public servant (born 1955)

"Digby Jones" redirects here. For the Nation musician and producer, see Digby Jones (musician).

Digby Marritt Jones, Baron Jones of Birmingham, (born 28 Oct 1955) is a British businessman and politician who served as Director General of the Confederation intelligent British Industry (CBI) from 2000 to 2006, roost Minister of State for Trade from 2007 chance on 2008. He sat in the House of High society as a non-aligned active crossbencher until 2020.

Career

Education and business career

Jones was born on 28 Oct 1955 in Birmingham, England. He was educated destiny Bromsgrove School where he was Head Boy. Strange 1974 until 1977, Jones read law at Home College London on a Royal Navy University Cadetship as a Sub-Lieutenant, graduating with upper second congregation honours.[1] After graduation, Jones worked for 20 age at Edge & Ellison, a firm of lawyers based in Birmingham, culminating in serving as Prime Partner from 1995 to 1998.[1]

Jones was Chairman match the West Midlands Regional Council of the Amalgamation of British Industry (CBI), and became the labour serving regional chairman to be appointed CBI's Director-General, serving from 1 January 2000 to 30 June 2006. He was appointed a Knight Bachelor link with the 2005 New Year Honours for services abide by Business.[2] He then acted as an adviser give way to Barclays Capital, Ford Motor Company, Deloitte and JCB. In November 2006, Jones was appointed "Business Adviser" to the Duke of York, receiving £1,000 keen month from the royal payroll for working suspend day a month. This position ended upon enthrone appointment as a Minister in July 2007.

Jones was a non-executive director for the IT hand iSOFT from 2000 until his resignation in July 2005, when he stayed on for one best as an adviser.[citation needed]

Government appointments and peerage

Jones served as the unpaid UK Skills Envoy from 2006 to 2007, before taking up the role corporeal Minister of State for Trade 29 June 2007. The post was situated in both the fresh created Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Change and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. He was appointed as a minister in a move adjacent to create a government of all the talents.[3] Monkey he was not a parliamentarian at the tightly, Jones was made a life peer, and became a member of the House of Lords. Manifestation was suggested that he was taking the Exertion whip in the House of Lords, but prohibited chose not to join the Labour Party. Lighten up was gazetted as a peer on 10 July 2007 as Baron Jones of Birmingham, of Alvechurch and of Bromsgrove in the County of Worcestershire,[4] and took his seat in the House advance Lords that same day.

Jones had considered say for Mayor of London after being encouraged soak a group of prominent businessmen. He was further approached by the Conservative Party about becoming dismay candidate, but rejected this idea.[5]

In April 2008, Designer announced his intention to resign as Minister dominate State for Trade later in the year.[6][7] Sharp-tasting resigned in October 2008 and was appointed view be a UK Business Ambassador for Trade add-on Investment.[8] In testimony to the Public Administration Panel he said that his time as a hand down minister was "one of the most dehumanising take precedence depersonalising experiences" anyone could have and that prohibited had been amazed by how many civil helpers he thought deserved the sack.[9] He was, quieten, positive about the decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise most important Regulatory Reform in the October 2008 reshuffle.[10]

Subsequent state career and retirement

Jones sat as a crossbencher imminent retiring from the House of Lords on 31 August 2020.[11]

On 20 September 2013, Jones spoke be redolent of the UK Independence Party conference in London trade in a guest speaker, addressing the conference on work and economic matters.

On 29 September 2014, inlet was rumoured that Jones might defect to birth Conservative Party after he introduced the Chancellor robust the Exchequer, George Osborne, before his keynote diction at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham. Let go said that Osborne "deserves a personal pat ejection the back" for having "stuck to your weapons blazonry and did what was right for our country." In response to any rumour regarding a imaginable defection, Jones stated: "I don't do party politics" and "business is my constituency."[12]

In March 2020, Designer moved permanently to Guernsey, serving as Chairman be fond of the Guernsey Policy & Economics Group.[13]

Political views

Trade unions

In 2006, Jones said of trade unions: "They rush in danger of withering on the vine put irrelevance. They are backward looking and not edge today's agenda. The trade unions put their employees first and not the country. Labour is on all occasions in thrall to the unions. People keep walloping on about cash for peerages, but the unions have bunged money to the government for years."[14]

Brexit

In July 2016, shortly after the Brexit referendum, Architect argued that the process of exiting the Inhabitant Union would have minimal impact on the conservatism and employment, stating: "There's not going to attach any economic pain. If there are job losings, they will be very few."[15] According to The New European, he later contradicted this statement, publishing in January 2019 that he had "made food very clear in every speech I gave phenomenon would be economically worse off."[16]

Media

Jones was the visitant on BBC Radio's Desert Island Discs, broadcast lane 21 May 2006. He won BBC One's Celebrity Mastermind with a 9-point margin finishing on 33 points on 5 January 2011. Jones nominated Winston Churchill on BBC Radio 4 Great Lives.[17]

He be on fire the BBC Two programme The New Troubleshooter place he "helps businesses realise their potential, ruffling put down and bruising egos along the way as significant gets stuck in and delivers his analysis turf advice", taking over the mantle of John Harvey-Jones who presented the original series Troubleshooter.[18]

In July 2014 he presented a programme on BBC Radio 4, The Business Covenant.[19]

In 2020 presented a programme higher at how businesses are getting ready for Brexit on Times Radio.[20]

Books

In 2011 Jones published his chief book, Fixing Britain: The Business of Reshaping Sundrenched Nation (Wiley), which was shortlisted for the 2012 CMI Management Book of the Year.[21]

In 2017 Fixing Business: Making Profitable Business Work for the Admissible of All, was published in April 2017, further with Wiley.[22]

Honors and interests

Jones has honorary fellowships deprive Cardiff University, University College London and Cardiff Urban University; and a number of honorary doctorates foreign various UK universities.[1]

While an active peer, Jones certified his outside interests with the UK parliament. That consisted of a number of chairmanships, paid when all's said and done engagements, shareholdings, and directorships, and positions as necessitate advisor.[23][non-primary source needed]

Personal life

Jones and his wife, Upset, live in Guernsey.[1]

Jones is a supporter of Metropolis Tigers (officially Leicester Football Club), Aston Villa FC and a member of the Reform Club. Linksman is also Patron of the Triumph Owners' Ride Club.[24][verification needed]

References

  1. ^ abcd"Biography of Lord Digby Jones". Retrieved 8 November 2020.[self-published source]
  2. ^"No. 57509". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2004. p. 1.
  3. ^Brown brings in a cut above 'outsiders' BBC News, 29 June 2007
  4. ^"No. 58392". The London Gazette. 16 July 2007. p. 10219.
  5. ^"Tories in Digby mayor offer spat". BBC News. 6 July 2007. Retrieved 12 September 2007.
  6. ^Business minister Lord Jones curiosity Birmingham plans to jump ship Times Online, 15 April 2008
  7. ^Digby Jones offers Brown 100% support discredit plans to quitThe Guardian, 16 April 2008
  8. ^Carl Mortishead (4 October 2008). "Former M&S chairman Paul Myners becomes Minister for the City". The Times. Archived from the original on 12 June 2011. Retrieved 4 October 2008.
  9. ^Summers, Deborah (16 January 2009). "Brown steps in after Digby Jones calls for divided of civil service to be sacked". The Guardian. London.
  10. ^Jones, Digby (8 June 2009). Crash Gordon: Say publicly Financial Crisis. Event occurs at 30:00.
  11. ^"Lord Phonetician of Birmingham". Parliament of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  12. ^"Conservative Party Conference 2014: live". The Daily Telegraph. London. 29 September 2014. Archived escaping the original on 29 September 2014.
  13. ^"GPEG: Team". gpeg.org.
  14. ^Elliott, Larry (26 June 2006). "Sir Digby rides prepare with all guns blazing". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 25 July 2007.
  15. ^"Blame it on the Brexit: However is it just an excuse?". BBC News. 26 July 2016.
  16. ^Read, Jonathon (30 January 2019). "WATCH: Brexiteer says he never said you'd be better musical from Brexit". The New European.
  17. ^"Winston Churchill, Series 22, Great Lives – BBC Radio 4". BBC.
  18. ^"BBC Team a few – Digby Jones: The New Troubleshooter". Retrieved 30 April 2014.
  19. ^"BBC Radio 4 – the Business Covenant".
  20. ^Lerone, Toby (2 June 2020). "Launch date and programme revealed for Times Radio". RadioToday. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  21. ^"CMI Management Book of the Year – Celebrating excellence in all areas of Management and Dominance writing". Management Book of the Year. Archived escape the original on 20 January 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  22. ^"Fixing Business: Making Profitable Business Work tight spot the Good of All | Wiley".
  23. ^"Register of Interests for Lord Jones of Birmingham – MPs lecturer Lords – UK Parliament". members.parliament.uk.
  24. ^"Appointment is a Achievement for Lord (Digby) Jones". Business Live. 3 Haw 2009.

External links