Harold Edward Wincott

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(13 September 1906 – 5 March 1969) was a British economist and journalist.

Early life

Harold Wincott was born in north London, where his father ran a small family business of heraldic engravers. He went to Hornsey County School, leaving at 16.

Career

Wincott edited the ''

Investors Chronicle The ''Investors Chronicle'' is a weekly magazine in the United Kingdom for private investors and is published by the ''Financial Times'' Group. The magazine publishes articles about global markets and sectors, and news on corporate actions such ...

'' for twenty-one years and was a columnist for the ''

Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Ni ...

''. He was appointed a CBE in 1963 and wrote pamphlets for the

Institute of Economic Affairs The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) is a right-wing pressure group and think tank registered as a UK charity Associated with the New Right, the IEA describes itself as an "educational research institute", and says that it seeks to "further ...

, a free-market think-tank based in

Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, B ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

Legacy

According to one contemporary, Wincott had an "enormous influence on

City A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

thinking"; it was Wincott who invented the character Solomon Binding in his column as a joke on the numerous "solemn and binding" pledges made at TUC Conferences. The

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

politician

John Biffen William John Biffen, Baron Biffen, (3 November 1930 – 14 August 2007), was a British Conservative Party politician. A member of the House of Lords, he was previously a Member of Parliament for over 35 years, and served in Margaret Thatcher's ...

has claimed: "If I had a mentor, it was probably Harold Wincott".Cockett, p. 169.

Wincott Foundation

The Wincott Foundation was established in 1970 in honour of Harold Wincott's achievements, with the purpose of supporting and encouraging high quality economic, financial, and business journalism. The Foundation sponsors annual awards for economic, financial, and business journalism in the UK, and provides fellowships and scholarships to journalists.

Bibliography

*''The Stock Exchange'' (1946) *''Beginners Please'' (1961) *''The business of capitalism: A selection of unconventional essays on economic problems of the 1960s'' (1968)

Early life

Career

Legacy

Wincott Foundation

Bibliography

References

Further reading