Difference between revisions of "Anthony Bamford"

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He is a donor to right-wind causes: he is one of the largest donors to the [[Conservative Party]]; has donated money to the [[Taxpayers' Alliance]]; and gave money to the campaign for the UK to leave the EU.<ref>Robert Winnett and Holly Watt, Tories forced to name club of millionaire supporters, ''the Sunday Times'', 15-October-2006</ref>
 
He is a donor to right-wind causes: he is one of the largest donors to the [[Conservative Party]]; has donated money to the [[Taxpayers' Alliance]]; and gave money to the campaign for the UK to leave the EU.<ref>Robert Winnett and Holly Watt, Tories forced to name club of millionaire supporters, ''the Sunday Times'', 15-October-2006</ref>
  
==Background==
+
==Involvement in UK politics==
Bamford is the son of [[Joseph Cyril Bamford]], who founded the excavation machinery business [[JCB]] in 1945. The firm prospered in the postwar boom.<ref name="IndyProfile">[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/big-wheel-the-social-circle-of-sir-anthony-bamford-413006.html Big Wheel: The social circle of Sir Anthony Bamford], ''Independent'', 23 August 2006.</ref>
+
===Brexit donor===
 +
Bamford is a Brexit supporter and gave £673,000 to the campaign for the UK to leave the EU, contributing to both the [[Vote Leave]] campaign and [[Grassroots Out]] through JC Bamford Excavators Limited.
  
Bamford has a brother [[Mark Bamford]], who is a director of eight companies within the [[JCB Group]] and sits on the board of the [[Conservative Party Foundation]]. <ref> [http://www.theconservativefoundation.co.uk/index.php?page=who&win=close Meet the Board: Mark Bamford Esq], Conservative Party Foundation website, acc 26 March 2011.</ref>
+
===Lobbying for lower taxes===
 +
In December 2005, Bamford was one of a number of prominent business-people who signed a letter to the ''Telegraph'' calling on Chancellor [[Gordon Brown]] to lower taxes.<ref>Ambrose Evans-pritchard, [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2927527/UK-faces-death-by-taxes-say-City-chiefs.html UK faces death by taxes, say City chiefs], ''Telegraph'', 3 December 2005.</ref>
  
==Business career==
+
===Conservative Party ties===
Anthony Bamford took over as head of [[JCB]] in 1975.<ref name="IndyProfile">[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/big-wheel-the-social-circle-of-sir-anthony-bamford-413006.html Big Wheel: The social circle of Sir Anthony Bamford], ''Independent'', 23 August 2006.</ref>
+
Bamford is one of the largest donors to the [[Conservative Party]], giving £4.1 million to the Tories from 2010 to 2015.<ref>[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3180660/Tories-23m-just-13-peers-five-years-one-five-peers-2010-party-donor.html#ixzz4y2l78rlc Revealed: How 13 new Conservative Lords since 2010 have given £23million to Cameron's party], Mailonline, 30 July 2015</ref>
 
 
===Property===
 
'''W magazine'' reports:
 
::In addition to the Gloucestershire stronghold [1'700 acre Daylesford], there’s a London mansion; a 4,200-acre estate in Staffordshire, known as Wootton; Heron Bay, the fabled Barbados home once owned by Ronald and Marietta Tree; and Château de Léoube, in Provence. At sea and in the air they are no less pampered: There’s the Virginian, their 240-foot yacht previously owned by John Kluge; the private jet; and one of the biggest private helicopters in England, a Sikorsky S-76 (Anthony uses it to commute daily to his factory in Staffordshire).<ref name="LadyBountiful">James Reginato, [http://www.wmagazine.com/society/2007/12/lady_bamford Lady Bountiful], ''W Magazine'', December 2007.</ref>
 
  
==Politics==
+
As such, Bamford is a member of [[The Leader's Group]], an elite [[Conservative Party]] supporter group which enables donors to secure access to leading party members and the prime minister through an annual membership fee of £50,000.<ref> Conservative Party, [https://www.conservatives.com/Donate/~/media/Files/Downloadable%20Files/Donors/Leaders%20Group%20Q4%202012.ashx The Leader's Group guests 2012 quarter 4], accessed 25 February 2015 </ref> For example, he was a dinenr guest of Prime Minister David Cameron in July 2010.
Bamford was knighted by the Conservative Government in 1990.<ref name="IndyProfile">[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/big-wheel-the-social-circle-of-sir-anthony-bamford-413006.html Big Wheel: The social circle of Sir Anthony Bamford], ''Independent'', 23 August 2006.</ref>
 
  
In December 2005, Bamford was one of a number of prominent business-people who signed a letter to the ''Telegraph'' calling on Chancellor [[Gordon Brown]] to lower taxes.<ref>Ambrose Evans-pritchard, [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2927527/UK-faces-death-by-taxes-say-City-chiefs.html UK faces death by taxes, say City chiefs], ''Telegraph'', 3 December 2005.</ref>
+
Bamford was knighted by the Conservative Government in 1990.<ref name="IndyProfile">[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/big-wheel-the-social-circle-of-sir-anthony-bamford-413006.html Big Wheel: The social circle of Sir Anthony Bamford], ''Independent'', 23 August 2006.</ref> His name was withdrawn from a list of prospective Conservative peers in May 2010, amid claims that the decision was related to his tax affairs.<ref>Vikram Dodd, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/may/31/anthony-bamford-conservatives-donor-peerage Conservatives confirm leading party donor withdrew from peerage list], ''The Guardian'', 31 May 2010.</ref>Three years later in August 2013 he was finally made a peer. <ref> [https://www.gov.uk/government/news/working-peerages-announced Working peerages announced], Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street, press release, 1 August 2013 </ref>
  
 +
===New Labour links===
 
Bamford was a guest of [[Tony Blair]] at [[Chequers]] on 11 December 2004.<ref>[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/open-house-the-prime-ministers-guest-list-6143976.html Open House: The Prime Minister's guest list], ''Independent'', 20 June 2005.</ref>
 
Bamford was a guest of [[Tony Blair]] at [[Chequers]] on 11 December 2004.<ref>[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/open-house-the-prime-ministers-guest-list-6143976.html Open House: The Prime Minister's guest list], ''Independent'', 20 June 2005.</ref>
  
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::"Anthony puts much of his success down to anti-union policies adopted at JCB over the years, and has spiritual reservations about Labour," says a political acquaintance. "But on a personal level, he finds [[Toby Blair|Blair]] pretty charming, and is obviously happy with the direction he has taken the party in. It's a measure of the remarkable guy he is that he can be friends with Blair, [[david Cameron|Cameron]], and the [[Prince of Wales]], all at the same time."<ref name="IndyProfile">[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/big-wheel-the-social-circle-of-sir-anthony-bamford-413006.html Big Wheel: The social circle of Sir Anthony Bamford], ''Independent'', 23 August 2006.</ref>
 
::"Anthony puts much of his success down to anti-union policies adopted at JCB over the years, and has spiritual reservations about Labour," says a political acquaintance. "But on a personal level, he finds [[Toby Blair|Blair]] pretty charming, and is obviously happy with the direction he has taken the party in. It's a measure of the remarkable guy he is that he can be friends with Blair, [[david Cameron|Cameron]], and the [[Prince of Wales]], all at the same time."<ref name="IndyProfile">[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/big-wheel-the-social-circle-of-sir-anthony-bamford-413006.html Big Wheel: The social circle of Sir Anthony Bamford], ''Independent'', 23 August 2006.</ref>
  
Bamford's name was withdrawn from a list of prospective Conservative peers in May 2010, amid claims that the decision was related to his tax affairs.<ref>Vikram Dodd, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/may/31/anthony-bamford-conservatives-donor-peerage Conservatives confirm leading party donor withdrew from peerage list], ''The Guardian'', 31 May 2010.</ref>
+
==Business interests==
 +
Anthony Bamford took over as head of [[JCB]] in 1975.<ref name="IndyProfile">[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/big-wheel-the-social-circle-of-sir-anthony-bamford-413006.html Big Wheel: The social circle of Sir Anthony Bamford], ''Independent'', 23 August 2006.</ref>
  
Three years later in August 2013 he was finally made a peer. <ref> [https://www.gov.uk/government/news/working-peerages-announced Working peerages announced], Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street, press release, 1 August 2013 </ref>
+
===Property===
 
+
'''W magazine'' reports:
Bamford is a member of [[The Leader's Group]], an elite [[Conservative Party]] supporter group which enables donors to secure access to leading party members and the prime minister through an annual membership fee of £50,000.<ref> Conservative Party, [https://www.conservatives.com/Donate/~/media/Files/Downloadable%20Files/Donors/Leaders%20Group%20Q4%202012.ashx The Leader's Group guests 2012 quarter 4], accessed 25 February 2015 </ref>
+
::In addition to the Gloucestershire stronghold [1'700 acre Daylesford], there’s a London mansion; a 4,200-acre estate in Staffordshire, known as Wootton; Heron Bay, the fabled Barbados home once owned by Ronald and Marietta Tree; and Château de Léoube, in Provence. At sea and in the air they are no less pampered: There’s the Virginian, their 240-foot yacht previously owned by John Kluge; the private jet; and one of the biggest private helicopters in England, a Sikorsky S-76 (Anthony uses it to commute daily to his factory in Staffordshire).<ref name="LadyBountiful">James Reginato, [http://www.wmagazine.com/society/2007/12/lady_bamford Lady Bountiful], ''W Magazine'', December 2007.</ref>
 
 
===Support for the Conservatives===
 
On 1 April 2015 Anand was one of [[Conservative Business Letter - Telegraph 1 April 2015| 103 business leaders who wrote to the Telegraph]] praising the British [[Conservative Party]]'s economic policies and claiming a [[Labour]] government would 'threaten jobs and deter investment' in the UK.<ref>Peter Dominiczak, [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/labour/11507586/General-Election-2015-Labour-threatens-Britains-recovery-say-100-business-chiefs.html 100 business chiefs: Labour threatens Britain's recovery], ''Telegraph'', 1 April 2015.</ref>
 
 
 
==Dinner at Downing Street with the Camerons==
 
*See Powerbase page on [[Downing Street Dinner Guest List]]
 
  
 
==Affiliations==
 
==Affiliations==
 
 
[[JCB]] | [[Taxpayers' Alliance]] | [[Conservative Party]] | [[Midlands Industrial Council]] | [[White's]]
 
[[JCB]] | [[Taxpayers' Alliance]] | [[Conservative Party]] | [[Midlands Industrial Council]] | [[White's]]
  
==Political Donations==
+
==Background==
Recorded by the Electoral Commission:
+
Bamford is the son of [[Joseph Cyril Bamford]], who founded the excavation machinery business [[JCB]] in 1945. The firm prospered in the postwar boom.<ref name="IndyProfile">[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/big-wheel-the-social-circle-of-sir-anthony-bamford-413006.html Big Wheel: The social circle of Sir Anthony Bamford], ''Independent'', 23 August 2006.</ref>
<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" border="1" float="left" align="left" width="100%">
 
<tr>
 
<th bgcolor="goldenrod" width="20%">Date</th>
 
<th bgcolor="goldenrod" width="20%">Name of donor</th>
 
<th bgcolor="goldenrod" width="20%">Amount</th>
 
<th bgcolor="goldenrod" width="20%">Donated to</th>
 
<th bgcolor="goldenrod" width="20%">Subsidiary (parties only)</th>
 
</tr>
 
  
<tr>
+
Bamford has a brother [[Mark Bamford]], who is a director of eight companies within the [[JCB Group]] and sits on the board of the [[Conservative Party Foundation]]. <ref> [http://www.theconservativefoundation.co.uk/index.php?page=who&win=close Meet the Board: Mark Bamford Esq], Conservative Party Foundation website, acc 26 March 2011.</ref>
<td align="center">12/10/2007</td>
 
<td align="center">Anthony Bamford</td>
 
<td align="center">£9,999.00</td>
 
<td align="center">[[Conservative Party]]</td>
 
<td align="center">Witney</td>
 
</tr>
 
 
 
<tr>
 
<td align="center">22/10/2007</td>
 
<td align="center">Anthony Bamford</td>
 
<td align="center">£5,000.00</td>
 
<td align="center">[[Conservative Party]]</td>
 
<td align="center">Cotswold</td>
 
</tr>
 
 
 
<tr>
 
<td align="center">25/02/2008</td>
 
<td align="center">Sir Anthony Bamford</td>
 
<td align="center">£15,000.00</td>
 
<td align="center">[[Boris Johnson]] MP</td>
 
<td align="center"></td>
 
</tr>
 
 
 
<tr>
 
<td align="center">13/02/2009</td>
 
<td align="center">Anthony Bamford</td>
 
<td align="center">£21,250.00</td>
 
<td align="center">[[Conservative Party]]</td>
 
<td align="center">Central Party</td>
 
</tr>
 
 
 
<tr>
 
<td align="center">28/07/2009</td>
 
<td align="center">Anthony Bamford</td>
 
<td align="center">£50,000.00</td>
 
<td align="center">[[Conservative Party]]</td>
 
<td align="center">Central Party</td>
 
</tr>
 
 
 
</table><ref> Electoral Commission, [https://pefonline.electoralcommission.org.uk/Search/CommonReturnsSearch.aspx?type=basicDonationSearch Donation Search], accessed 16 February 2015 </ref>
 
 
 
<br>
 
  
 
==External Resources==
 
==External Resources==

Revision as of 15:57, 10 November 2017

Brexit badge.png Part of the Powerbase Brexit Portal.
Anthony Bamford
David Cameron, George Osborne and Anthony Bamford opening a JCB factory in India[1]

Bamford was raised to the peerage in August 2013.

Anthony Bamford is an English businessman and chair of JCB.

He is a member of the Midlands Industrial Council.

He is a donor to right-wind causes: he is one of the largest donors to the Conservative Party; has donated money to the Taxpayers' Alliance; and gave money to the campaign for the UK to leave the EU.[2]

Involvement in UK politics

Brexit donor

Bamford is a Brexit supporter and gave £673,000 to the campaign for the UK to leave the EU, contributing to both the Vote Leave campaign and Grassroots Out through JC Bamford Excavators Limited.

Lobbying for lower taxes

In December 2005, Bamford was one of a number of prominent business-people who signed a letter to the Telegraph calling on Chancellor Gordon Brown to lower taxes.[3]

Conservative Party ties

Bamford is one of the largest donors to the Conservative Party, giving £4.1 million to the Tories from 2010 to 2015.[4]

As such, Bamford is a member of The Leader's Group, an elite Conservative Party supporter group which enables donors to secure access to leading party members and the prime minister through an annual membership fee of £50,000.[5] For example, he was a dinenr guest of Prime Minister David Cameron in July 2010.

Bamford was knighted by the Conservative Government in 1990.[6] His name was withdrawn from a list of prospective Conservative peers in May 2010, amid claims that the decision was related to his tax affairs.[7]Three years later in August 2013 he was finally made a peer. [8]

New Labour links

Bamford was a guest of Tony Blair at Chequers on 11 December 2004.[9]

The Independent reported in 2006:

"Anthony puts much of his success down to anti-union policies adopted at JCB over the years, and has spiritual reservations about Labour," says a political acquaintance. "But on a personal level, he finds Blair pretty charming, and is obviously happy with the direction he has taken the party in. It's a measure of the remarkable guy he is that he can be friends with Blair, Cameron, and the Prince of Wales, all at the same time."[6]

Business interests

Anthony Bamford took over as head of JCB in 1975.[6]

Property

'W magazine reports:

In addition to the Gloucestershire stronghold [1'700 acre Daylesford], there’s a London mansion; a 4,200-acre estate in Staffordshire, known as Wootton; Heron Bay, the fabled Barbados home once owned by Ronald and Marietta Tree; and Château de Léoube, in Provence. At sea and in the air they are no less pampered: There’s the Virginian, their 240-foot yacht previously owned by John Kluge; the private jet; and one of the biggest private helicopters in England, a Sikorsky S-76 (Anthony uses it to commute daily to his factory in Staffordshire).[10]

Affiliations

JCB | Taxpayers' Alliance | Conservative Party | Midlands Industrial Council | White's

Background

Bamford is the son of Joseph Cyril Bamford, who founded the excavation machinery business JCB in 1945. The firm prospered in the postwar boom.[6]

Bamford has a brother Mark Bamford, who is a director of eight companies within the JCB Group and sits on the board of the Conservative Party Foundation. [11]

External Resources

Notes

  1. Jamie Doward, Feud between Bamford brothers threatens to cast light on funding for Tories, the Guardian, 14-November-2010
  2. Robert Winnett and Holly Watt, Tories forced to name club of millionaire supporters, the Sunday Times, 15-October-2006
  3. Ambrose Evans-pritchard, UK faces death by taxes, say City chiefs, Telegraph, 3 December 2005.
  4. Revealed: How 13 new Conservative Lords since 2010 have given £23million to Cameron's party, Mailonline, 30 July 2015
  5. Conservative Party, The Leader's Group guests 2012 quarter 4, accessed 25 February 2015
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Big Wheel: The social circle of Sir Anthony Bamford, Independent, 23 August 2006.
  7. Vikram Dodd, Conservatives confirm leading party donor withdrew from peerage list, The Guardian, 31 May 2010.
  8. Working peerages announced, Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street, press release, 1 August 2013
  9. Open House: The Prime Minister's guest list, Independent, 20 June 2005.
  10. James Reginato, Lady Bountiful, W Magazine, December 2007.
  11. Meet the Board: Mark Bamford Esq, Conservative Party Foundation website, acc 26 March 2011.