Anthony Bamford

Bamford was educated at Ampleforth College, followed by the University of Grenoble.[5]

Bamford has been outspoken on the need for the Government to champion manufacturing in the UK and commissioned a report in 2012 on the subject which was sent directly to David Cameron.[6] He was elevated to the House of Lords in August 2013.[7]

Bamford expressed an interest in purchasing Jaguar Cars in August 2006,[8] but backed out when he was told the sale would also involve Land Rover, which he did not wish to buy.

Bamford is married to Carole, Lady Bamford, OBE.

Outside of business, Bamford is a well-known collector of early vintage Ferraris,[9] and is the only individual to own two Ferrari 250 GTOs.[10] He was also once the owner of a 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196 grand prix car raced by the five-time world champion Juan Manuel Fangio of Argentina.[11]

In 1974, he sued the then MP Jeffrey Archer for bankruptcy after Archer failed to repay a £172,000 loan. Archer had lost the money in a fraudulent share scam. Archer later repaid the money from his earnings as a novelist and Bamford subsequently withdrew the bankruptcy notice.[12]

In 2000, JCB was fined £22 million by the European Commission for antitrust breaches. Bamford said the decision was "disappointing and wrong".[13][14] A six-year legal battle ensued, which resulted in the European Court of Justice upholding the penalty.[15]

Bamford is a major donor to the Conservative Party and donated £1 million before the 2010 General Election. Altogether, Bamford has donated more than £4m personally and through JCB companies.

Prime Minister David Cameron recommended Bamford for a peerage in 2010. However, Bamford withdrew his name from consideration days before the members were announced.[16]

On 3 October 2013 he was created a life peer taking the title Baron Bamford, of Daylesford in the County of Gloucestershire and of Wootton in the County of Staffordshire.[17]

In June 2016, Bamford wrote a letter in support of voting to leave the European Union to his employees.[18] JCB has donated £100,000 to the Vote Leave campaign.

Bamford is also close to Tony Blair and Prince Charles.[19]

During the 2019 United Kingdom general election campaign Bamford donated £3,935,984 to the Conservative Party.[20]

Bamford owns mansions in several countries (including in England Daylesford House and Wootton Lodge).[21] Although he was linked to offshore tax havens in the Panama papers through sole ownership of Casper Ltd., his spokesman said the company was inactive for its entire existence before being dissolved in 2012.[22] He is a distant relative of professional footballer Patrick Bamford.[23]

• Mr Anthony Bamford (1945–90)
• Sir Anthony Bamford (1990–2002)
• Sir Anthony Bamford DL (2002–2013)
• The Lord Bamford DL (2013–present)