Terence Burns, Baron Burns (born 13 March 1944), sometimes known as Terry Burns, is a British economist, made a
life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. In modern times, life peerages, always created at the rank of baron, are created under the Life Peerages ...
in 1998 for his services as former Chief Economic Advisor and
Permanent Secretary
A permanent secretary (also known as a principal secretary) is the most senior Civil Service (United Kingdom), civil servant of a department or Ministry (government department), ministry charged with running the department or ministry's day-to-day ...
to
HM Treasury
His Majesty's Treasury (HM Treasury), occasionally referred to as the Exchequer, or more informally the Treasury, is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for developing and executing the government's public finance policy and ...
. He served as Chairman of
Ofcom
The Office of Communications, commonly known as Ofcom, is the government-approved regulatory and competition authority for the broadcasting, telecommunications and postal industries of the United Kingdom.
Ofcom has wide-ranging powers acros ...
from 2018 to 2020, and is currently a senior adviser to
Santander UK
Santander UK plc (, ) is a British bank, wholly owned by the Spanish Santander Group. Santander UK plc manages its affairs autonomously, with its own local management team, responsible solely for its performance.
Santander UK is one of the l ...
, non-executive Chairman of
Glas Cymru, and a non-executive director of
Pearson Group plc. He is also President of the
National Institute of Economic and Social Research
The National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR), established in 1938, is Britain's oldest independent economic research institute. The institute is a London-based independent UK registered charity that carries out academic researc ...
, President of the
Society of Business Economists
The Society of Professional Economists is a British network of professional economists. Its members are drawn from all areas of the discipline including financial and professional services, business, journalism, government, consultancy, business s ...
, ex Chairman of the Governing Body of the
Royal Academy of Music, and ex Chairman of the
Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra
The Monteverdi Choir was founded in 1964 by John Eliot Gardiner, Sir John Eliot Gardiner for a performance of the ''Vespro della Beata Vergine'' in King's College Chapel, Cambridge. A specialist List of early music ensembles, Baroque ensemble, th ...
. On 5 November 2009 he was announced chairman Designate of
Channel Four Television Corporation
Channel Four Television Corporation is a British state-owned media company headquartered in London. Its original and principal activity is the British national television network Channel 4.
The company was founded in 1982 as the Channel Four T ...
, succeeding
Luke Johnson, who retired on 27 January 2010 following six years in the post.
Government career
His government service began as a member of the
HM Treasury
His Majesty's Treasury (HM Treasury), occasionally referred to as the Exchequer, or more informally the Treasury, is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for developing and executing the government's public finance policy and ...
Academic Panel from 1976 to 1979, then Chief Economic Adviser to the Treasury and Head of the
Government Economic Service
The Government Economic Service (GES) is a professional grouping of public sector economists who work across some 40 departments and agencies of His Majesty's Government (HMG). The GES Board is chaired by the Head of the GES and consists of gover ...
from 1980 to 1991, and Permanent Secretary of HM Treasury from 1991 to 1998.
Lord Burns was a member of the
Hansard Society
The Hansard Society was formed in the United Kingdom in 1944 to promote parliamentary democracy. Founded and chaired by Commander Stephen King-Hall, the first subscribers were Winston Churchill and Clement Attlee. The society's co-presidents a ...
''Commission on Parliamentary Scrutiny'' which ran from 1999 to 2001. He was a member of the ''Scottish Fee Support Review'' from 1998 to 2000, and Chairman of the ''Committee of Inquiry into Hunting with Dogs in England and Wales'' in 2000. He was Chairman of the
National Lottery Commission
The National Lottery Commission was an organisation set up on 1 April 1999 under the National Lottery Act 1998 to regulate the United Kingdom's National Lottery. It replaced the Director General and the Office of the National Lottery (Oflot). On ...
between 2000 and 2001. In 2003, he was appointed Independent Adviser to the Secretary of State for the
BBC Charter Review
The BBC Charter is a royal charter setting out the arrangements for the governance of the British Broadcasting Corporation.
An accompanying agreement recognises its editorial independence and sets out its public obligations in detail.
The in ...
.
Business career
Lord Burns was appointed a non-executive director of
Pearson plc
Pearson plc is a British multinational corporation, multinational publishing and education company headquartered in London, England.
It was founded as a construction business in the 1840s but switched to publishing in the 1920s.J. A. Spende ...
in 1999, and Senior Independent Director in 2004. He was also a non-executive director of
Legal and General Group plc between 1999 and 2001, and of
The British Land Company plc between 2000 and 2005. In July 2000, he was appointed Non-Executive Chairman of
Glas Cymru. He was named Chairman of
Abbey National plc
An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christian monks and nuns.
The conc ...
in February 2002, and a non-executive director of
Banco Santander
Banco Santander, S.A., doing business as Santander Group (, , Spanish: ), is a Spanish multinational financial services company based in Madrid and Santander in Spain. Additionally, Santander maintains a presence in all global financial centr ...
Central Hispano S.A. in December 2004. He became Chairman of
Marks and Spencer plc in 2006, after serving as Deputy chairman since 2005. Lord Burns was appointed as Chairman of
Ofcom
The Office of Communications, commonly known as Ofcom, is the government-approved regulatory and competition authority for the broadcasting, telecommunications and postal industries of the United Kingdom.
Ofcom has wide-ranging powers acros ...
for a four-year term from 1 January 2018.
Professional
Lord Burns has been President of the
Society of Business Economists
The Society of Professional Economists is a British network of professional economists. Its members are drawn from all areas of the discipline including financial and professional services, business, journalism, government, consultancy, business s ...
since 1998, previously serving as Vice-President since 1985. He has been President of the
National Institute of Economic and Social Research
The National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR), established in 1938, is Britain's oldest independent economic research institute. The institute is a London-based independent UK registered charity that carries out academic researc ...
since 2003, previously serving as a Governor. He is also a
Fellow
A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context.
In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements.
Within the context of higher education ...
of the
London Business School
London Business School (LBS) is a business school and a constituent college of the federal University of London. LBS was founded in 1964 and awards post-graduate degrees (Master's degrees in management and finance, MBA and PhD). Its motto is " ...
, and a Vice-President of the
Royal Economic Society
The Royal Economic Society (RES) is a professional association that promotes the study of economic science in academia, government service, banking, industry, and public affairs. Originally established in 1890 as the British Economic Association, ...
.
Other positions held
Lord Burns and Sir John Ritblat
Lord Burns chaired the
Government Inquiry into Hunting with Dogs in England and Wales in 1999–2000, was named Chairman of the
Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra
The Monteverdi Choir was founded in 1964 by John Eliot Gardiner, Sir John Eliot Gardiner for a performance of the ''Vespro della Beata Vergine'' in King's College Chapel, Cambridge. A specialist List of early music ensembles, Baroque ensemble, th ...
in 2001 after serving as a Trustee since 1998 and was appointed Chairman of the Governing Body of the
Royal Academy of Music in 2002 after being a Governor since 1998.
He was non-executive director of
Queens Park Rangers FC
Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England, which compete in the . After a nomadic early existence, they have played home matches at Loftus R ...
between 1996 and 2001. In 2004, he was appointed Chairman of the FA Structural Review by
The Football Association
The Football Association (also known as The FA) is the Sports governing body, governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Bailiwick of Guernsey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the ...
, and delivered his Final Report on 12 August 2005.
Personal life
The son of Patrick Owen Burns, a coalminer, and Doris Burns, he was born and brought up in the village of
Hetton-le-Hole
Hetton-le-Hole is a town situated in the City of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England. It is in the historic county of Durham. A182 runs through the town, between Houghton-le-Spring and Easington Lane (the latter borders the County Durham Distri ...
in County Durham, and educated at
Houghton-le-Spring Grammar School and the
University of Manchester
, mottoeng = Knowledge, Wisdom, Humanity
, established = 2004 – University of Manchester Predecessor institutions: 1956 – UMIST (as university college; university 1994) 1904 – Victoria University of Manchester 1880 – Victoria Univer ...
, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics in 1965. He has been married to Anne Elizabeth Powell since 1969. They have a son and two daughters and four grandchildren.
Honours
He was
knighted in the
1983 Birthday Honours
Queen's Birthday Honours are announced on or around the date of the Queen's Official Birthday in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The dates vary, both from year to year and from country to country. All are published in supp ...
, and was appointed to the
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved Bathing#Medieval ...
as a Knight Grand Cross (GCB) in the
1995 Birthday Honours. In the
1998 Birthday Honours, he was raised to the peerage as Baron Burns, of Pitshanger in the
London Borough of Ealing
The London Borough of Ealing () is a London borough in West London. It comprises seven major towns: Acton (W3), Ealing (W5, W13, NW10), Greenford (UB6), Hanwell (W7), Northolt (UB5), Perivale (UB6) and Southall (UB1, UB2). With a population ...
. He sits as a
crossbencher.
He holds honorary doctorates and professorships from five British universities.
Works
*Britton, A., Randolph Quirk, Terence Burns,
Peter Mathias
Peter Mathias, (10 January 1928 – 1 March 2016) was a British economic historian and the former Chichele Professor of Economic History at the University of Oxford. His research focused on the history of industry, business, and technology, ...
, John Mason, ''The Interpretation and Use of Economic Predictions: Discussion'', Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series A, Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Volume 407, Issue 1832, (1986), 1986RSPSA.407..123B
*''The UK Government's Financial Strategy'' (1988)
References
Bibliography
*
External links
*
Profileat ''
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
''
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Burns, Terence
1944 births
People from Hetton-le-Hole
Academics of London Business School
Alumni of the University of Manchester
British economists
Crossbench life peers
Fellows of Nuffield College, Oxford
Living people
Knights Bachelor
Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
People associated with the Royal Academy of Music
Permanent Secretaries of HM Treasury
Queens Park Rangers F.C. directors and chairmen
Members of the Board of Directors of the Banco Santander
Chairmen of Channel 4
Life peers created by Elizabeth II