James Timpson, Baron Timpson

{{Short description|British businessman and politician (born 1971)}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific_prefix = The Right Honourable

| name = The Lord Timpson

| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|OBE|DL}}

| image = James Timpson Official Cabinet Portrait, July 2024 (cropped).jpg

| caption = Official portrait, 2024

| office = Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending

| primeminister = Sir Keir Starmer

| term_start = 5 July 2024

| term_end =

| predecessor = Edward Argar

| successor =

| office1 = Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal

| term_start1 = 22 July 2024
Life Peerage

| term_end1 =

| office2 = CEO of the Timpson Group

| term_start2 = 2002

| term_end2 = July 2024

| predecessor2 = Sir John Timpson

| successor2 = John Timpson

| birth_name = William James Timpson

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1971|09|17|df=y}}

| birth_place = Knutsford, Cheshire, England

| party = Labour

| spouse = {{marriage|Roisin Brannigan|1997}}

| children = 3

| relations = Edward Timpson (brother)

| father = Sir John Timpson

| mother = Alex Timpson

| alma_mater = Durham University (BA)

}}

William James Timpson, Baron Timpson, {{post-nominals|country=GBR|sep=,|OBE|DL}} (born 17 September 1971), is a British businessman and politician who has served as Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending since 2024. He was the chief executive of the Timpson Group, owned by his father Sir John Timpson, from 2002{{Who's Who |title=Timpson, (William) James |year=2023 |id=U272999 |doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U272999}} to July 2024.{{Cite web |last=Hill |first=Eloise |date=2024-07-08 |title=Timpson boss named new prisons minister |website=Retail Gazette |url=https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2024/07/james-timpson-government/ |access-date=2024-07-09 |language=en-GB |archive-date=9 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240709142051/https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2024/07/james-timpson-government/ |url-status=live }}

Career

Timpson was born in Knutsford, Cheshire, on 17 September 1971 to Sir John and Alex Timpson. His younger brother Edward was a Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for 14 years till 2024. Timpson attended Uppingham School and gained a Bachelor of Arts degree in geography from Durham University before joining his family business.

He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2011 Birthday Honours list for services to training and employment for disadvantaged people.{{London Gazette |date=11 June 2011 |issue=59808 |page=B13 |supp=y}} Timpson was appointed as a deputy lieutenant (DL) of Cheshire on 11 October 2019.{{London Gazette |date=10 October 2019 |issue=62793 |page=18180}}{{cite web |date=14 October 2019 |title=Appointment of Deputy Lieutenants |url=https://cheshirelieutenancy.org.uk/appointment-of-deputy-lieutenants/ |access-date=8 July 2024 |publisher=Cheshire Lieutenancy |language=en |archive-date=8 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240708184215/https://cheshirelieutenancy.org.uk/appointment-of-deputy-lieutenants/ |url-status=live }}

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 the chair of the Prison Reform Trust 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.{{cite press release |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/leading-uk-business-bosses-help-prison-leavers-get-work-in-crime-cutting-drive |title=Leading UK business bosses help prison leavers get work in crime-cutting drive |date=3 March 2022 |access-date=18 July 2024 |website=GOV.UK |language=en}}

In November 2018, Timpson was selected by Prime Minister Theresa May to co-chair one of five new business councils to advise on how to create the best conditions for UK businesses after Brexit, though Timpson himself did not support Brexit. He was the co-chair of the Small Business, Scale ups and Entrepreneurs Council, alongside Brent Hoberman and Emma Jones.{{Cite press release |title=Five new business councils to advise the Prime Minister on post-Brexit opportunities |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/five-new-business-councils-to-advise-the-prime-minister-on-post-brexit-opportunities |date=6 November 2018 |access-date=20 February 2024 |website=GOV.UK |language=en |archive-date=20 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240220134406/https://www.gov.uk/government/news/five-new-business-councils-to-advise-the-prime-minister-on-post-brexit-opportunities |url-status=live }}

In March 2021, he was reappointed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, as a trustee of Tate for a four-year period.{{cite web |title=Prime Minister appoints James Timpson as new Tate Trustee |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-minister-appoints-new-tate-trustee |website=GOV.UK |date=6 March 2017 |access-date=26 June 2022 |language=en |archive-date=28 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220528180058/https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-minister-appoints-new-tate-trustee |url-status=live }} In June 2022, he replaced Jonathon Porritt as Chancellor of Keele University.{{cite web |title=Keele University appoints James Timpson OBE as new Chancellor |url=https://www.keele.ac.uk/about/news/2022/april/new-chancellor/james-timpson-obe.php |publisher=Keele University |access-date=26 June 2022 |language=en |date=13 April 2022 |archive-date=25 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220525185547/https://www.keele.ac.uk/about/news/2022/april/new-chancellor/james-timpson-obe.php |url-status=live }}

Timpson wrote a column on business and leadership for The Sunday Times{{Cite news |last=Timpson |first=James |date=8 February 2024 |title=My lightbulb moment: recruit when you don't need to |newspaper=The Times |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/my-lightbulb-moment-recruit-when-you-dont-need-to-dzf5p5vlg |access-date=8 February 2024 |language=en |issn=0140-0460 |archive-date=8 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240208104348/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/my-lightbulb-moment-recruit-when-you-dont-need-to-dzf5p5vlg |url-status=live }} throughout 2021, and this inspired his book The Happy Index: Lessons in Upside-Down Management, which was published in February 2024 by HarperCollins.{{cite news |url=https://www.bigissue.com/news/employment/timpson-success-high-street-prison-work-doc-martens-repair/ |title=Timpson boss James Timpson on Doc Martens, high street success and how work can turn lives around |first=Greg |last=Barradale |date=6 May 2024 |access-date=18 July 2024 |work=The Big Issue |language=en |archive-date=6 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240706064520/https://www.bigissue.com/news/employment/timpson-success-high-street-prison-work-doc-martens-repair/ |url-status=live }}

In February 2024, Timpson made comments suggesting only a third of prisoners should be in prison.{{cite news |title=We have too many prisoners, says new PM Starmer |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c16jpkzz9g3o |date=6 July 2024 |access-date=6 July 2024 |last1=Seddon |first1=Paul |last2=Francis |first2=Sam |work=BBC News |language=en |archive-date=6 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240706170659/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c16jpkzz9g3o |url-status=live }}

In July 2024, Timpson was appointed Minister of State for Prisons, Parole and Probation in the Starmer ministry by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer following the Labour Party's victory in the 2024 general election.{{Cite web |last=Buchan |first=Lizzy |date=5 July 2024 |title=Meet the new Cabinet as Keir Starmer appoints his top team |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/meet-new-cabinet-keir-starmer-33177784 |access-date=6 July 2024 |website=The Mirror |language=en |archive-date=6 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240706000616/https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/meet-new-cabinet-keir-starmer-33177784 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=Ministerial Appointments: July 2024 |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ministerial-appointments-july-2024 |date=5 July 2024 |access-date=5 July 2024 |website=GOV.UK |language=en |archive-date=5 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240705113848/https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ministerial-appointments-july-2024 |url-status=live }} Because of this appointment, he stepped down as chief executive officer of Timpson and chair of the Prison Reform Trust.{{Cite web |title=James Timpson leaves charity chair role to take up ministerial post |url=https://www.civilsociety.co.uk/news/james-timpson-leaves-charity-chair-role-to-take-up-ministerial-post.html |date=9 July 2024 |access-date=9 July 2024 |website=Civil Society |last=Preston |first=Rob |archive-date=9 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240709142051/https://www.civilsociety.co.uk/news/james-timpson-leaves-charity-chair-role-to-take-up-ministerial-post.html |url-status=live }} He was nominated for a life peerage and was created Baron Timpson, of Manley in the County of Cheshire, on 18 July.{{London Gazette |date=24 July 2024 |issue=64468 |page=14290}} Timpson was introduced to the House of Lords on 22 July.{{cite Hansard |jurisdiction=Parliament of the United Kingdom |house=House of Lords |title=Introduction: Lord Timpson |date=22 July 2024 |volume=839 |column=223 |url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2024-07-22/debates/AF4E8DC6-7BDF-473C-92C6-DAE0645878A4/IntroductionLordTimpson}}