Andrew Turnbull, Baron Turnbull
Andrew Turnbull, Baron Turnbull | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 21, 1945 |
| Occupation(s) | Civil servant, politician |
| Years active | 1968–2005 (civil service) |
| Known for | Head of Her Majesty's Civil Service and Cabinet Secretary (2002–2005) |
Andrew Turnbull, Baron Turnbull, born on 21 January 1945, is a British civil servant and politician who held the positions of head of Her Majesty's Civil Service and Cabinet Secretary between 2002 and 2005. He was succeeded by Sir Gus O'Donnell and currently serves as a crossbencher in the House of Lords.
Education
Turnbull received his education at Enfield Grammar School before studying economics at Christ's College, Cambridge.
Career
Turnbull’s career commenced in 1968 as an economist with the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Foreign Trade in Lusaka, Zambia, under an Overseas Development Institute Fellowship. From 1988 to 1992, he acted as Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister during the administrations of Margaret Thatcher and John Major. His subsequent appointments included serving as permanent secretary at Defra and later as Permanent Secretary to the Treasury from 1998 to 2002—a role traditionally regarded as the second most senior in the Civil Service—before ascending to Cabinet Secretary and head of the Civil Service.
In these top-tier positions, Turnbull functioned as the chief executive of the Civil Service, supervising Permanent Secretaries who are accountable to government ministers. As Cabinet Secretary, he was responsible for managing the Cabinet Office, facilitating support for the Prime Minister and overall government operations. Upon his appointment in 2002 by Prime Minister Tony Blair, Turnbull emphasized reforms in civil service management and organizational restructuring.
Throughout his career, Turnbull earned several distinctions: Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in 1990, Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in 1992, and Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in 1998. On 11 October 2005, he was ennobled as a life peer with the title Baron Turnbull, of Enfield.
Following his civil service tenure, Turnbull took on various directorship roles and became Senior Executive Advisor at Booz Allen Hamilton in 2007. Additionally, he serves as a patron for Zambia Orphans Aid UK, an international development charity he previously chaired.
Iraq war
Turnbull attracted controversy on 28 February 2004 when he issued a formal letter reprimanding former minister Clare Short after she claimed that British intelligence had intercepted communications involving individuals such as Kofi Annan. Short made this letter public and criticized Turnbull for permitting government decision-making processes to falter prior to the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. She alleged that the government's legal adviser, Attorney General Lord Goldsmith, faced pressure to declare the war lawful. Short contended that Turnbull neglected to guarantee sufficient Cabinet examination of legal advice and alternative options:
- "He allowed us to rush to war in Iraq without defence and overseas policy meeting, looking at all the military options and the diplomatic options and political options. (He) allowed the Joint Intelligence Committee to meet with Alastair Campbell chairing it."
In March 2005, Turnbull disclosed that Lord Goldsmith’s legal opinion regarding the Iraq War consisted of only a single page.
Turnbull also provided testimony to the Iraq Inquiry on 13 January 2010.
Gordon Brown's Perspective
On 20 March 2007, just one day prior to the budget release, Turnbull described Gordon Brown to the Financial Times as exhibiting "Stalinist ruthlessness," accusing him of breaching protocol by openly condemning a minister who was still in office.
Views on the Environment
Turnbull holds a trustee position at the Global Warming Policy Foundation. In 2011, the Foundation issued a report under his authorship claiming that global temperatures had reached a "plateau" and called for greater scepticism concerning global warming.
Personal Details
Lord Turnbull has been married to Diane since 1967 and they have two sons together. His interests encompass golf, opera, and sailing. Additionally, he was a member of the Dulwich College Board of Governors, serving as its chairperson from 2009 until 2015.