Siddhesh Joshi (Editor)

Philip Harris, Baron Harris of Peckham

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Full Name
  
Philip Harris

Spouse(s)
  
Pauline

Nationality
  
British

Name
  
Philip Baron


Occupation
  
Businessman

Role
  
Businessman

Net worth
  
£285 million (2006)

Philip Harris, Baron Harris of Peckham itelegraphcoukmultimediaarchive01297moneyg

Born
  
15 September 1942 (age 81) (
1942-09-15
)
Peckham, London, England, UK

Political party
  
Residence
  
London, United Kingdom, Cannes, France

Known for
  

Philip Charles Harris, Baron Harris of Peckham (born 15 September 1942) is an English businessman, Conservative party donor and member of the House of Lords.

Contents

Philip Harris, Baron Harris of Peckham STOCK IMAGE UGL010996A08A 01ASU39N UPPA Search Stock

He is the sponsor of the large multi-academy trust the Harris Federation.

Philip Harris, Baron Harris of Peckham Lord Harris to retire from Carpetright after 26 years Telegraph

Business

Philip Harris, Baron Harris of Peckham Carpetright founder Lord Harris goes back to the flooring empire

Harris was the chairman of Carpetright plc and has over 50 years’ experience in carpet retailing. Harris left Carpetright in 2014 and sold all of his shares and he is no longer associated with Carpetright

Philip Harris, Baron Harris of Peckham Lord Harris of Peckham Harris Manchester College

He was chairman and chief executive of Harris Carpets. Harris Carpets acquired Queensway in 1977 to become Harris Queensway plc until the company was taken over in 1988.

Lord Harris was also a non-executive director of Great Universal Stores plc for 18 years, retiring from the GUS Board in July 2004. Lord Harris became a non-executive director of Matalan in October 2004.

Football

He was appointed to the board of Arsenal Football Club as a non-executive director in November 2005.

Equestrian interests

Lord Harris is the co-owner of the Olympic gold medal-winning horse Hello Sanctos ridden by Scott Brash in the team show jumping event at the London 2012 Summer Olympics.

Lord Harris and Lord Kirkham bought the horse for an estimated €2 million at the start of 2012. They are also co-owners of the horses Hello Sailor, Hello Unique and Hello Boyo.

Conservative Party donations

Harris made donations to David Cameron as leader of the Conservative Party. He is considered to be one of his personal friends. He is said to have played a role in convincing Cameron to contest the party's leadership in the summer of 2005. His ties to Cameron came under scrutiny two years later when it appeared that Andrew Feldman, a political associate of his and a fellow donor to Cameron's leadership campaign, used Harris's name to claim privileges accorded to active members of the House of Lords (which Harris, his peerage notwithstanding, had never been).

A report in The Independent newspaper quoted a senior member of the Lords Privileges Committee as suggesting the allegation shows how fundraising "pollutes our politics".

Comments on Theresa May

In a September 2017 interview with The Times he described Theresa May as very indecisive unlike Thatcher, hopeless during the general election campaign which she should have won easily, and was leading a weak directionless government. He said May was mishandling the Brexit negotiations and alienated many in the business community. He also said the government's funding cuts to schools had gone too far and were a false economy and that the free schools policy should be overhauled by the Department for Education so that they are only set up in areas of place shortages.

Other comments made included his opposition to an expansion of grammar schools, Theresa May u-turning on too many decisions such as the so-called dementia tax, and the Home Office not reducing net migration to the tens of thousands as repeatedly promised. Harris also talked about potential candidates on who could succeed May as Conservative Party Leader.

Harris Federation academies

He has contributed extensively to education and as a result, many schools and colleges (such as Harris Manchester College, Oxford) bear his name. Through the Harris Federation, many secondary schools in South London have received Harris donations. In the London Borough of Croydon, he helped to found the Harris City Technology College, Harris Academy South Norwood and Harris Academy Merton, Harris Academy Purley, Harris Academy Chafford Hundred, although many local residents are angered that the original name of the South Norwood site, Stanley Technical High School, was dropped in place of the Harris name.

In recent years, the forced change to academy status has placed additional schools under the management of the Harris Federation despite considerable opposition from Boards of Governors and parents.

Personal life

He was educated at Streatham Grammar School and his father died when he was 15.

In 1960, Philip Harris married Pauline Chumley. The couple have a daughter Susan, and sons; Martin, Peter and Charles.

His wife Pauline was appointed an DBE in 2004 and a DL in 2005.

Sunday Times Rich List

Lord Harris ranked 206th in the Sunday Times Rich List 2006, with an estimated wealth of £285m. (2004 162nd £254m, 2005 192nd £250m).

Other

He was Knighted in 1985.

He was made a Life peer as Baron Harris of Peckham, in the London Borough of Southwark on 11 January 1996.

References

Philip Harris, Baron Harris of Peckham Wikipedia