Brendan Barber
The Lord Barber of Ainsdale | |
|---|---|
.JPG) Barber in 2012 | |
| Chair of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service | |
| In office 2014–2020 | |
| Minister | Vince Cable Sajid Javid Greg Clark Andrea Leadsom Alok Sharma Kwasi Kwarteng Jacob Rees-Mogg |
| Preceded by | Ed Sweeney |
| Succeeded by | Claire Chapman |
| 10th General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress | |
| In office 2003–2012 | |
| Preceded by | John Monks |
| Succeeded by | Frances O'Grady |
| Deputy General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress | |
| In office 1993–2003 | |
| Preceded by | John Monks |
| Succeeded by | Frances O'Grady |
| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal | |
| Assumed office 20 January 2025 Life peerage | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Brendan Paul Barber 3 April 1951 Southport, England |
| Political party | Labour |
| Alma mater | City, University of London |
Brendan Paul Barber, Baron Barber of Ainsdale (born 3 April 1951), is a British trade union official and [[life peer]. He served as chair of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) Council until 2020. He is a former general secretary of the United Kingdom's Trades Union Congress (TUC); a post he held from June 2003 until his retirement at the end of 2012. He was appointed Acas Chair in 2014, replacing Ed Sweeney, who had been in the post since 2007. He also serves on the board of the Banking Standards Board (since 2015), the Board of Transport for London (2013–), the board of Britain Stronger in Europe (since 2015), the Council of City University, London and the board of Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts (since 2014).
Early life and education
[edit]Barber was born on 3 April 1951 in Southport, Lancashire, and educated at St Mary's College, Sefton (then a direct grant grammar school). Between school and university, he spent a year with VSO teaching in the Volta Region of Ghana. At City, University of London, he earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in social sciences in 1974, then spent the next year as the president of the students' union.[1]
Career
[edit]He spent a year as a researcher for the Ceramics, Glass and Mineral Products Industry Training Board based in Harrow.[1]
TUC
[edit]In 1975. he began working at the TUC[2] as a policy officer. In 1979, he became the head of the TUC's Press and Information Department. In 1987, he became head of the Organisation and Industrial Relations Department and in 1993 he became deputy general secretary.[1]
He became General Secretary of the TUC in June 2003. On 18 April 2012, he announced his retirement, enabling a successor to be elected in September at Trades Union Congress 2012.[3] Frances O'Grady was elected his successor.[4]
Awards
[edit]In 2007, Barber was given an Award of Doctor of Science honoris causa by City University London. He was knighted in the 2013 Birthday Honours for services to employment relations.[5][6] In December 2024, Barber was announced to receive a life peerage as part of the 2024 Political Peerages and was created as Baron Barber of Ainsdale, of Southport in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton on 20 January 2025.[7][8]
Personal life
[edit]He met Mary Gray in the TUC International Dept, and they married. They have two daughters. He supports Everton F.C. and lives in Muswell Hill.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Biographical details: Brendan Barber". Trades Union Congress. Archived from the original on 25 July 2012. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
- ^ Stevenson, Alexander (2013). The Public Sector: Managing The Unmanageable. Kogan Page. ISBN 978-0-7494-6777-7.
- ^ "Brendan Barber to retire as TUC General Secretary". Trades Union Congress. 18 April 2012. Archived from the original on 12 October 2012. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
- ^ Claire Bolderson (7 September 2012). "Profile: Frances O'Grady, the new TUC general secretary". BBC. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
- ^ "No. 60534". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 June 2013. p. 1.
- ^ "Birthday Honours: Adele joins Blackadder stars on list". BBC News. 14 June 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
- ^ "Political Peerages December 2024". GOV.UK (Press release). Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street. 20 December 2024. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- ^ Pollock, Laura (20 December 2024). "See the 38 new lifetime peers announced by the UK Government". The National. Archived from the original on 20 December 2024. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
External links
[edit]
- Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
- Contributions in Parliament at Hansard
- Voting record at PublicWhip.org
- Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou.com
- TUC
- Guardian profile September 2003
- Bank of England Court of Directors
- Video on YouTube
- "Christmas spending 'will be tough'" 16 November 2011, Budget Planning News
- 1951 births
- Living people
- 21st-century British politicians
- Alumni of City, University of London
- Fellows of Nuffield College, Oxford
- General secretaries of the Trades Union Congress
- Knights Bachelor
- Labour Party (UK) life peers
- Life peers created by Charles III
- People educated at St Mary's College, Crosby
- People from Southport
- Trade unionists from Lancashire