Peter Parker (British businessman)
Encyclopedia
Sir Peter Parker KBE
LVO (30 August 1924 – 28 April 2002) was a British
businessman, best known as chairman of the British Railways Board
from 1976 to 1983.
on 30 August 1924, but spent part of his childhood in Shanghai
, where his father worked for an oil company. The family were evacuated from China in 1937, and while his father went to work in Africa, his mother and the rest of the family settled in Bedford
, England
, where he attended Bedford School
. After leaving school, he won a scholarship to study Japanese
at the School of Oriental and African Studies
, University of London
, as one of the "Dulwich boys", 30 sixth-formers recruited to boost the ranks of military translators. In 1943 he joined the Intelligence Corps of the British Army
, serving first in India and Burma, and later in the United States and Japan, eventually reaching the rank of Major
. In 1947 he left the army, and studied history at Lincoln College, Oxford
. At Oxford he met Shirley Catlin (the future Shirley Williams ) and they had a relationship. In her autobiography ("Climbing the Bookshelves") Williams says that "...by the spring of 1949 I was in love with him, and he, a little, with me..." . He stood unsuccessfully as the Labour
candidate for Bedford in the general election of 1951.
. He organised a study conference on human problems in industry at the invitation of the Duke of Edinburgh
, for which he was appointed a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order
in 1957. He then joined Booker McConnell, becoming a Director of the company.
He remained on the board of Booker until 1970, when he was appointed chairman-designate of the newly-nationalised National Ports Authority. This was scrapped following the election of a Conservative government in 1970, leaving Parker to find other directorships until his appointment in 1976 as British Rail's chairman.
, Peter Parker was appointed Chairman of BR in 1976 by the Labour Government and continued to serve during the Premiership of Margaret Thatcher
. He guided the organisation through difficult times to the beginnings of the resurgence in train travel in the United Kingdom
.
Politically, he was a socialist (but later joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP)
). His socialist principles were severely tested by the industrial relations difficulties with the three railway unions (ASLEF, the National Union of Railwaymen
and the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association
) whilst Chairman of British Rail. There were several major strikes
on the railway system during his chairmanship.
Peter Parker reorganised the management of the railway system, creating five business sectors, instead of having it based on geographical regions. He was a critic of the underinvestment in the railways by successive British governments, claiming that he was trying to shore up "the crumbling edge of quality". He also campaigned vigorously against the anti-rail lobby, most notably in successfully resisting the recommendations of the Serpell Report
in 1982, which had proposed drastic closures.
It is believed that Sir Peter Parker became the only former Chairman of British Rail to have an engine named in his honour (with the exception of Sir Henry Johnson, who had a British Rail Class 86 locomotive named after him). At a ceremony at Old Oak Common, London, on 17 September 2003, High Speed Train power car number 43127 was named "Sir Peter Parker 1924-2002 Cotswold Line 150" by Lady Parker. The naming had been arranged between the Cotswold Line Promotion Group, which provided the nameplates, and First Great Western, to jointly celebrate the life and work of Sir Peter and the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Cotswold Line between Oxford and Worcester in 1853. Sir Peter was a regular user of Charlbury station
on that line.
His other appointments included the chairmanship of the Rockware Group (1971-76, and 1983-92); Bookers Engineering and Industrial Holdings (1966-70); Associated British Maltsters (1971-73); Curtis Brown (1971-76); Dawnay Day group (1971-76); Mitsubishi
Electric UK (1984-96); and Whitehead Mann (1984-2000). He was also chairman of the National Theatre
Board, of the British Tourist Authority and of Westfield College
.
He was knighted in 1978 and appointed KBE
in 1993. He was conferred with the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure 1st Class (1991) (Japan). He married Jillian Rowe-Dutton in 1951, with whom he had three sons and a daughter. He is the father of the British actor Nathaniel Parker
and the film director Oliver Parker
.
On one occasion, Parker had to catch a train from Crewe
to Carlisle
, but arrived late and accidentally boarded a non-stopper heading for London Euston.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
LVO (30 August 1924 – 28 April 2002) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
businessman, best known as chairman of the British Railways Board
British Railways Board
The British Railways Board was a nationalised industry in the United Kingdom that existed from 1962 to 2001. From its foundation until 1997, it was responsible for most railway services in Great Britain, trading under the brand names British Railways and, from 1965, British Rail...
from 1976 to 1983.
Early life
Parker was born in FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on 30 August 1924, but spent part of his childhood in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, where his father worked for an oil company. The family were evacuated from China in 1937, and while his father went to work in Africa, his mother and the rest of the family settled in Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, where he attended Bedford School
Bedford School
Bedford School is not to be confused with Bedford Modern School or Bedford High School or Old Bedford School in Bedford, TexasBedford School is an HMC independent school for boys located in the town of Bedford, England, United Kingdom...
. After leaving school, he won a scholarship to study Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
at the School of Oriental and African Studies
School of Oriental and African Studies
The School of Oriental and African Studies is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the University of London...
, University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, as one of the "Dulwich boys", 30 sixth-formers recruited to boost the ranks of military translators. In 1943 he joined the Intelligence Corps of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, serving first in India and Burma, and later in the United States and Japan, eventually reaching the rank of Major
Major (UK)
In the British military, major is a military rank which is used by both the British Army and Royal Marines. The rank insignia for a major is a crown...
. In 1947 he left the army, and studied history at Lincoln College, Oxford
Lincoln College, Oxford
Lincoln College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is situated on Turl Street in central Oxford, backing onto Brasenose College and adjacent to Exeter College...
. At Oxford he met Shirley Catlin (the future Shirley Williams ) and they had a relationship. In her autobiography ("Climbing the Bookshelves") Williams says that "...by the spring of 1949 I was in love with him, and he, a little, with me..." . He stood unsuccessfully as the Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
candidate for Bedford in the general election of 1951.
Career
After leaving Oxford he spent two years with Philips Electrical before becoming Head of the overseas department of the Industrial SocietyIndustrial society
In sociology, industrial society refers to a society driven by the use of technology to enable mass production, supporting a large population with a high capacity for division of labour. Such a structure developed in the west in the period of time following the Industrial Revolution, and replaced...
. He organised a study conference on human problems in industry at the invitation of the Duke of Edinburgh
Duke of Edinburgh
The Duke of Edinburgh is a British royal title, named after the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, which has been conferred upon members of the British royal family only four times times since its creation in 1726...
, for which he was appointed a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
in 1957. He then joined Booker McConnell, becoming a Director of the company.
He remained on the board of Booker until 1970, when he was appointed chairman-designate of the newly-nationalised National Ports Authority. This was scrapped following the election of a Conservative government in 1970, leaving Parker to find other directorships until his appointment in 1976 as British Rail's chairman.
Chairman of British Rail
Succeeding Sir Richard MarshRichard Marsh, Baron Marsh
Richard William Marsh, Baron Marsh PC was an English politician and business executive.Marsh was educated at Woolwich Polytechnic and was elected as Labour Party Member of Parliament for Greenwich at the 1959 general election...
, Peter Parker was appointed Chairman of BR in 1976 by the Labour Government and continued to serve during the Premiership of Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
. He guided the organisation through difficult times to the beginnings of the resurgence in train travel in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Politically, he was a socialist (but later joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP)
Social Democratic Party (UK)
The Social Democratic Party was a political party in the United Kingdom that was created on 26 March 1981 and existed until 1988. It was founded by four senior Labour Party 'moderates', dubbed the 'Gang of Four': Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams...
). His socialist principles were severely tested by the industrial relations difficulties with the three railway unions (ASLEF, the National Union of Railwaymen
National Union of Railwaymen
The National Union of Railwaymen was a trade union of railway workers in the United Kingdom. It an industrial union founded in 1913 by the merger of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants , the United Pointsmen and Signalmen's Society and the General Railway Workers' Union .The NUR...
and the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association
Transport Salaried Staffs' Association
The Transport Salaried Staffs' Association is a trade union for "white collar" workers in the transport industry in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland...
) whilst Chairman of British Rail. There were several major strikes
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
on the railway system during his chairmanship.
Peter Parker reorganised the management of the railway system, creating five business sectors, instead of having it based on geographical regions. He was a critic of the underinvestment in the railways by successive British governments, claiming that he was trying to shore up "the crumbling edge of quality". He also campaigned vigorously against the anti-rail lobby, most notably in successfully resisting the recommendations of the Serpell Report
Serpell Report
The Serpell Report was produced by a committee chaired by Sir David Serpell, a senior civil servant. It was commissioned by the government of Margaret Thatcher to examine the state and long-term prospects of Great Britain's railway system. There were two main parts to the report. The first part...
in 1982, which had proposed drastic closures.
It is believed that Sir Peter Parker became the only former Chairman of British Rail to have an engine named in his honour (with the exception of Sir Henry Johnson, who had a British Rail Class 86 locomotive named after him). At a ceremony at Old Oak Common, London, on 17 September 2003, High Speed Train power car number 43127 was named "Sir Peter Parker 1924-2002 Cotswold Line 150" by Lady Parker. The naming had been arranged between the Cotswold Line Promotion Group, which provided the nameplates, and First Great Western, to jointly celebrate the life and work of Sir Peter and the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Cotswold Line between Oxford and Worcester in 1853. Sir Peter was a regular user of Charlbury station
Charlbury railway station
Charlbury railway station is a railway station serving the town of Charlbury in Oxfordshire, England. This station and all trains serving it are operated by First Great Western...
on that line.
His other appointments included the chairmanship of the Rockware Group (1971-76, and 1983-92); Bookers Engineering and Industrial Holdings (1966-70); Associated British Maltsters (1971-73); Curtis Brown (1971-76); Dawnay Day group (1971-76); Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi
The Mitsubishi Group , Mitsubishi Group of Companies, or Mitsubishi Companies is a Japanese multinational conglomerate company that consists of a range of autonomous businesses which share the Mitsubishi brand, trademark and legacy...
Electric UK (1984-96); and Whitehead Mann (1984-2000). He was also chairman of the National Theatre
Royal National Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company...
Board, of the British Tourist Authority and of Westfield College
Westfield College
Westfield College was a small college situated in Kidderpore Avenue, Hampstead, London, and was a constituent college of the University of London from 1882 to 1989. The college originally admitted only women as students and became coeducational in 1964. In 1989, Westfield College merged with Queen...
.
He was knighted in 1978 and appointed KBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1993. He was conferred with the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure 1st Class (1991) (Japan). He married Jillian Rowe-Dutton in 1951, with whom he had three sons and a daughter. He is the father of the British actor Nathaniel Parker
Nathaniel Parker
Nathaniel Parker is an English actor best known for playing Detective Inspector Thomas "Tommy" Lynley in the BBC crime drama series The Inspector Lynley Mysteries.-Personal life:...
and the film director Oliver Parker
Oliver Parker
Oliver Parker is an English film director.-Biography:Parker was born in London, the son of Jillian, Lady Parker, a writer and GP , and Sir Peter Parker, formerly Chief executive of British Rail...
.
On one occasion, Parker had to catch a train from Crewe
Crewe railway station
Crewe railway station was completed in 1837 and is one of the most historic railway stations in the world. Built in fields near to Crewe Hall, it originally served the village of Crewe with a population of just 70 residents...
to Carlisle
Carlisle railway station
Carlisle railway station, also known as Carlisle Citadel station, is a railway station whichserves the Cumbrian City of Carlisle, England, and is a major station on the West Coast Main Line, lying south of Glasgow Central, and north of London Euston...
, but arrived late and accidentally boarded a non-stopper heading for London Euston.