James Timpson, 52 years old, was known as the CEO of one of the largest retail service chains, Timpson Group, founded by his great-grandfather and shoemaker William in 1865, with over 2,000 stores across the UK and Ireland. The family company has not only withstood the test of time but has also become a leading example of social reintegration: 10% of its employees are ex-convicts.
Alongside his business endeavors, James Timpson has served as the chairman of the Prison Reform Trust, advocating for prison system reform, convinced that "a third of prisoners should not be behind bars". His resume caught the attention of former Attorney General and current Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, who has appointed him as Secretary of State for Prisons.
His first mission will be to "relieve" the prisons in England and Wales, which are on the verge of running out of cells for over 87,500 inmates. The Labour government plans to reduce sentences for minor offenses by up to 40%, and many believe James Timpson's influence is behind this controversial decision.
"We are addicted to punishment and harsh sentences", Timpson declared in February, in a special program on Channel 4 about the explosive situation in prisons. "There are many people who deserve to be in prison, but there are many others who do not deserve it and spend too much time serving their sentence."
James Timpson had no grand intentions of entering politics, especially after his younger brother, Edward, was elected as a Conservative MP for Cheshire in 2019 amidst the Boris Johnson wave and the aftermath of Partygate. Honored with the Order of the British Empire medal, James Timpson will now hand over the reins of his company and be "elevated" to the House of Lords to fulfill his role.
The Prime Minister justified his appointment as someone who thoroughly understands prisons and "leads by example". "Many times I have sat in courtrooms and watched people being processed by a system that sends them down a conveyor belt to prison," Starmer acknowledged. "And many times I have wondered if those people could have avoided falling into that system had they received enough support beforehand."
In the same Channel 4 program where his intentions are now seen, James Timpson urged British authorities to emulate the Dutch model of lighter sentences... "They have closed half of the prisons, not because people have stopped committing crimes. It's because they have different types of sentences, like community service, so that people can carry on with their lives while reducing the chances of reoffending."
On the business side, James Timpson credits his father, John Timpson, the original author of the book How to Ride a Giraffe about his unique philosophy in leading the family business. He himself decided to try his hand at writing with The Happiness Index: Management Lessons in Reverse, proposing "consumer empowerment" as the key to economic success.
His view of politics had been very critical until now, as he warned before his appointment in The Big Issue, the magazine for the homeless that praised his social reintegration work: "Politicians are good at complicating things and trying to sweeten their proposals to keep everyone happy. But sometimes you have to make decisions that won't please everyone. Like giving people a second chance."