Norman Blackwell

He was with Plessy between 1976 and 1978 and a former partner of McKinsey & Company from 1978 to 1994. Having been already Special Adviser in 1986 and 1987 from 1995 to 1997 he was Head of the Prime Minister's Policy Unit in 10 Downing Street, following which he was Director of Group Development.

NatWest Group, from 1997-2000 and non-executive director of Dixons Group from 2000 to 2003, chairman of Comensura in 2001. Appointed a Director of Standard Life in June 2003 and is Chairman of Standard Life Assurance Limited. He is Chairman of Interserve plc, non-executive Chairman of SmartStream Technologies Group, Senior Independent Director of Slough Estates plc, a non-executive with The Corporate Services Group 2000, and a Board Member of the Office of Fair Trading.

He is also a special adviser to KPMG’s Corporate Finance Practice, Chairman of the Centre for Policy Studies and an active member of the House of Lords.

Blackwell, N. (2006) Cameron must state his Tory principles, The Guardian, Sunday October 1.

Blackwell, N. (2007) Three cheers for selection: how grammar schools help the poor, Centre for Policy Studies, January 3.

BBC (2003) The Conservatives should learn from the way George Bush made Texas the springboard of his presidential campaign, says the Tories' policy chief, October 8. "We should make all hospitals fully independent," said Lord Blackwell. "We should also give people the choice to take their £1,200 a year which goes to the NHS and put it with a private healthcare provider."