James Timpson

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James Timpson
OBE DL
Official portrait, 2024
Minister of State for Prisons, Parole and Probation
Assumed office
5 July 2024
Prime MinisterKeir Starmer
Preceded byEdward Argar
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
In office
TBD
CEO of Timpson (retailer)
In office
2002 – July 2024
Preceded bySir John Timpson CBE
Succeeded bySir John Timpson CBE
Personal details
Born (1971-09-17) 17 September 1971 (age 52)
Knutsford, Cheshire, England
RelationsEdward Timpson (brother)
Parent(s)Alex Timpson
John Timpson
EducationUppingham School
Alma materDurham University (BA)

William James Timpson OBE DL (born 17 September 1971) is a British businessman, philanthropist, and politician serving as Minister of State for Prisons, Parole and Probation since 2024. He was the chief executive of the Timpson Group, owned by his father John Timpson, from 2002[1] to July 2024[2]

Career

Timpson was born in Knutsford, Cheshire, son of John and Alex; his younger brother Edward was a Conservative MP from 2019 to 2024. He attended Uppingham School.[1] He was awarded a Bachelor of Arts in geography from Durham University before joining his family business.[1]

Known for advocating the employment of former prisoners, he was the Chair of the Employers Forum for Reducing Re-offending (EFFRR) until 2016, and became Chair of the Prison Reform Trust[1] that same year. He also founded the Employment Advisory Board network across the prison estate, which links prisons with employers to improve the employment opportunities for ex-offenders upon release.[3]

In November 2018, Timpson was selected to co-chair one of five new business councils by the Prime Minister, to advise on how to create the best conditions for UK businesses after Brexit. He was the co-chair of the Small Business, Scale ups and Entrepreneurs Council, alongside Brent Hoberman and Emma Jones.[4]

In March 2021, he was reappointed by the then Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, as trustee of the Tate for a four-year period in March 2021.[5] He replaced Jonathon Porritt as Chancellor of Keele University in June 2022.[6]

Timpson wrote a column on business and leadership for The Sunday Times[7] throughout 2021, and this inspired his book The Happy Index: Lessons in Upside-Down Management, which was published in February 2024.[8]

In February 2024, Timpson made comments suggesting only a third of prisoners should be in prison.[9]

In July 2024, he was appointed Minister of State for Prisons, Parole and Probation in the Starmer ministry by the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer.[10][11] He is due to be appointed to a life peerage.[11] Because of this appointment, Timpson stepped down as chief executive officer of Timpson and stepped down as chair from the Prison Reform Trust.[12]

He was appointed as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the Civil Division in the 2011 Queen's Birthday Honours List for services to training and employment for disadvantaged people. He was appointed as a deputy lieutenant (DL) of Cheshire on 11 October 2019.[13][14]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Timpson, James". Who's Who. Vol. 2022 (December 2021 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 26 June 2022. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. ^ Hill, Eloise (8 July 2024). "Timpson boss named new prisons minister - Retail Gazette". Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  3. ^ "Leading UK business bosses help prison leavers get work in crime-cutting drive".
  4. ^ "Five new business councils to advise the Prime Minister on post-Brexit opportunities". GOV.UK. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  5. ^ "Prime Minister appoints James Timpson as new Tate Trustee". GOV.UK. 6 March 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  6. ^ "Keele University appoints James Timpson OBE as new Chancellor". Keele University. 13 April 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  7. ^ Timpson, James (8 February 2024). "My lightbulb moment: recruit when you don't need to". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  8. ^ Barradale, Greg (6 May 2024). "Timpson boss James Timpson on Doc Martens, high street success and how work can turn lives around".
  9. ^ "We have too many prisoners, says new PM Starmer". BBC News. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  10. ^ Buchan, Lizzy (5 July 2024). "Meet the new Cabinet as Keir Starmer appoints his top team". The Mirror. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Ministerial Appointments: July 2024". GOV.UK. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  12. ^ "James Timpson leaves charity chair role to take up ministerial post". www.civilsociety.co.uk. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  13. ^ "Deputy Lieutenant Commissions Lieutenancy of Cheshire". The London Gazette. 9 October 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
  14. ^ "Appointment of Deputy Lieutenants". The Cheshire Lieutenancy. 14 October 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2024.


Academic offices
Preceded by Chancellor of Keele University
2022–present 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
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