Brian Griffiths, Baron Griffiths of Fforestfach

Brian Griffiths was born on 27 December 1941. He was educated at Dynevor School, Swansea, and the London School of Economics (LSE), where he graduated with a BSc(Econ.) and MSc(Econ.).{{Who's Who | title=Griffiths of Fforestfach | id = U18226 | volume = 2022 | edition = online}}>

Griffiths was made an assistant lecturer in economics at the LSE in 1965. Three years later he became a lecturer in economics at City University, remaining in that role for nearly a decade until his appointment as Professor of Banking and International Finance at the same institution in 1977.{{cite book |last1=Aitken |first1=Jonathan |author-link=Jonathan Aitken|title=Margaret Thatcher: Power and Personality |date=2013 |page=308 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA |isbn=978-1-62040-343-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7ytfdg0bzsQC&pg=PA308}} From 1982 to 1985 he was Dean of the university's Business School.

Griffiths has written and lectured on the relationship of the Christian faith to politics and business.{{cite web |title=Lord Griffiths of Fforestfach |url=https://faithandwork.princeton.edu/people/lord-griffiths-fforestfach |website=Princeton University Faith & Work Initiative Princeton University Faith & Work Initiative |publisher=Princeton University |access-date=20 May 2021}} He taught at Regent College on biblical economics in 1979,{{cite book |last1=Gribben |first1=Crawford |title=Survival and Resistance in Evangelical America: Christian Reconstruction in the Pacific Northwest |date=2021 |publisher=Oxford University Press |page=72 |isbn=978-0-19-937022-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q78cEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA72}} and wrote The Creation of Wealth: A Christian's Case for Capitalism in 1984. He has been influenced in this area by Rousas J. Rushdoony.{{cite web |last1=Rushdoony |first1=Mark R. |title=Rousas John Rushdoony: A Brief History, Part VII "He's on the Lord's Side" |date=21 February 2017 |url=https://chalcedon.edu/magazine/rousas-john-rushdoony-a-brief-history-part-vii-hes-on-the-lords-side |publisher=Chalcedon Foundation |access-date=20 May 2021}} Griffiths is a fellow of Sarum College and delivered the 2011 Niblett Memorial Lecture there on "A Christian Reflection on the Financial Crisis".{{cite web |title=A Christian Reflection on the Financial Crisis: Transcript from 2011 Niblett Lecture |url=https://www.sarum.ac.uk/a-christian-reflection-on-the-financial-crisis-transcript-from-2011-niblett-lecture |publisher=Sarum College |access-date=20 May 2021}}

He served as vice-chairman of Goldman Sachs International. He said he was "not ashamed" of the bank's compensation plans. He also said the issue of banking compensation should not be thought about solely from a short-term perspective. He defended the bank's bonuses, Griffiths said the general public should "tolerate the inequality as a way to achieve greater prosperity for all", saying also that "we should not ... be ashamed of offering compensation in an internationally competitive market which ensures the bank businesses here and employs British people".James Quinn and James Hall, [https://web.archive.org/web/20091023101906/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/recession/6392127/Goldman-Sachs-vice-chairman-says-Learn-to-tolerate-inequality.html "Goldman Sachs vice-chairman says: 'Learn to tolerate inequality'"], The Telegraph, 21 October 2009.

He additionally serves as Co-Conference Host at the St. Gallen Symposium, together with Roshni Nadar and Dominic Barton. {{Cite web |title=Organisation 2025 - 54th St. Gallen Symposium |url=https://symposium.org/about/organisation/# |access-date=2025-04-22 |website=St. Gallen Symposium |language=en-US}}

In 1985 Griffiths resigned his university posts to become Margaret Thatcher's chief policy adviser.[http://www.city.ac.uk/about/city-information/city-review-2011/a-history-of-city-university-london "A history of City University London".] He remained Director of the Number 10 Policy Unit for the remainder of Thatcher's term as prime minister. Griffiths then became Chairman of the Centre for Policy Studies, serving from 1991 to 2001. He also served on the board of directors of the Conservative Christian Fellowship from 2000 to 2002. He was a member of the European Union Sub-Committee F (Social Affairs, Education and Home Affairs) from 1999 to 2003 and the Religious Offences Committee from 2002 to 2003. He is a vice-president of the Nature in Art Trust.{{cite web|url=http://nature-in-art.org.uk/trust.html|title=Nature in Art - Trust|publisher=Nature in Art Trust|access-date=23 March 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100509223727/http://www.nature-in-art.org.uk/trust.html|archive-date=9 May 2010|url-status=dead}}

Griffiths was the Conservative Party candidate for Blyth in the February and October 1974 General Elections. He was created a life peer as Baron Griffiths, of Fforestfach in the County of West Glamorgan on 5 February 1991.{{London Gazette |issue=52444 |date=8 February 1991 |page=2061}}

He chaired the Griffiths Commission on Personal Debt in 2004.{{cite web | url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200506/ldselect/ldeucom/37/3703.htm|title=Hansard transcript of Thirteenth Report | accessdate=2006-05-05}}

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|notes =

|year_adopted = 2007

|coronet = Coronet of a Baron

|escutcheon = Paly of four Vert and Argent per fess enhanced indented of two points upwards each point double barbed throughout issuing in base a pile double barbed throughout all counterchanged

|supporters = On either side statant upon a Stack of two closed Books Vert garnished Or a Male Gryphon reguardant Gules beaked forelegged and rayed Or

|crest = Upon a Helm with a Wreath Argent and Vert a Bear sejant erect Gules holding in the dexter forepaw a Leek proper

|badge = In front of an Osprey statant to the sinister Vert the crest and throat Argent beaked and legged Or an Osprey statant Gules the crest and throat Argent beaked and legged Or

|motto = OFN YR ARGLWYDD Y DYW DOETHINEB

|symbolism = Green and white are the ancient Welsh livery colours. The paly formation is arranged to suggest spruce clad mountains and hence an allusion to Fforestfach which means 'fair forest'. Further puns are provided by the bear for Brian and the gryphons for Griffiths.

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• [http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/lords/lord-griffiths-of-fforestfach/3595 Profile on the UK Parliament Webpage]
• [https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-brian-griffiths/index.html Brian Griffiths] at millbanksystems.com

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Category:Living people

Category:1941 births

Category:Conservative Party (UK) life peers

Category:Life peers created by Elizabeth II

Category:Goldman Sachs people

Category:Welsh politicians

Category:People educated at Dynevor School, Swansea

Category:Alumni of the London School of Economics

Category:Academics of Bayes Business School

Category:Academics of Sarum College