John Birt

Lord John Birt was born 10 December 1944. He worked at Granada and London Weekend Television, where he became good friends with Peter Mandelson (they've been on Tuscan walking holidays together and Mandelson was Birt's guest at the 1997 FA Cup Final). He started at the BBC as deputy director-general in 1987. He was the Beeb's Director-General from 1992 to 2000, (he left with a payout of £784,000 and an annual pension of £130,000), was awarded the life peerage in 1999, and took his seat in the House of Lords in March 2000.

He was "Crime Czar", then an adviser on transport in the Cabinet Office Forward Strategy Unit. In October 2001, Birt was appointed as Tony Blair's personal advisor, for what was termed 'blue skies thinking'. The position was unpaid. His role was controversial: as a special advisor rather than a civil servant, he was not obliged to appear in front of Commons Select Committees - and refused to do so when requested.

He prepared reports on crime, drugs, education, health and transport - all of which have been released under the Freedom of Information Act. NuclearSpin applied for a copy of his report on nuclear power - widely reported to recommend building new nuclear power stations - under the Act, but the government said it could 'neither confirm nor deny whether [it] holds [such] information'. NuclearSpin has appealed against the decision.

While at Downing Street, Birt worked part-time for management consultants McKinsey & Company, which has won a considerable number of contracts with the Government. Since February 2004, Birt has been a member of the Board of Directors of PayPal. DodOnline Political Biographies: Lord Birt, subscription only but can be accessed for free through the UK Parliament's website

On December 15, 2005 Birt announced that he was leaving Downing Street to take up a post with the private equity firm Terra Firma.


 * Former Chair, Maltby Capital
 * Chair, WRG Holdings
 * Chairman, Infinis Limited

Resources
See relevant page on SpinProfiles John Birt