The boss of key-cutting and shoe-repair specialist Timpson has been named minister of state for prisons, parole and probation by new prime minister Keir Starmer.
James Timpson, who has been Timpson chief executive since 2002, is well-known for his efforts to employ ex-offenders in an attempt to rehabilitate them.
Timpson will now sit in the House of Lords to debate the work of the government and recommend changes to legislation.
Timpson previously served as chair of the Employers Forum for reducing re-offending until 2016 before becoming chair of the Prison Reform Trust later that year.
He also founded the Employment Advisory Board network across the prison estate and was awarded an OBE for his efforts in 2011.
During Keir Starmer’s first news conference as prime minister over the weekend, he said that Timpson had invested “a huge amount over many years” into the rehabilitation of offenders and added that he was “very pleased” to give him the role.
Timpson was also called on by then prime minister Theresa May in 2018 to be co-chair of one of five new business councils to advise on creating the best conditions for businesses in the UK post-Brexit.
Following that, former prime minister Boris Johnson appointed Timpson as a trustee of the Tate in March 2021.
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