Andrew Stone, Baron Stone of Blackheath

Andrew Zelig Stone, Baron Stone of Blackheath (born 7 September 1942) is a Labour member of the House of Lords. He joined Marks and Spencer plc as a trainee in 1966 and retired his position as joint managing director of the company in 1999. He was created a life peer as Baron Stone of Blackheath, of Blackheath in the London Borough of Greenwich on 29 October 1997.^[1] He is currently a director of several non-government organisations, a retail company and is involved in several charities. He also chairs the charity DIPEx that helps patients gain information on their condition and their options.

He was the non-executive Chairman of Deal Group Media plc until 2007, when he resigned from this position.^[2] He is an Advisory Board Member of The Next Century Foundation.

He has voted strongly for the introduction of a smoking ban and for gay rights. He is a working Labour Peer and does not usually rebel against his party.^[3] But he has voted against the party repeatedly on House of Lords reform as well as on the Prevention of Terrorism Bill and the Hunting Bill.^[4]

He is the host and convenor of the annual awards of the International Media Council (now part of the International Council for Press and Broadcasting) based in London. He lists his political interests as: conflict resolution, art and science, health, ecology.^[5]

Positions

He is currently a Director of N Brown Group plc. He is Chairman of Sindicatum Climate Change Foundation and Chairman of The DIPEx Charity, a charitable health organisation. He is a Governor of the Weizmann Institute of Science) and Hon. Vice President of the The Movement for Reform Judaism. He is a Patron of Institute for Jewish Policy Research, the Gauchers Association, the New Israel Fund, the Jewish Chernobyl Children, the Orphaids charity, The Forgiveness Project (28/4/04) and LEAD Nepal – Development for the future of Nepalese Youth. He is a Trustee of Prism the Gift Fund and formerly a Trustee of the Olive Tree Educational Trust (now the Olive Tree Programme at City University).^[6] He is a member of the Israel Britain Business Council, the Anglo Ecuadorian Society and the Labour Friends of Israel. He is a Director of Olset Limited.^[7]

Memberships

Lord Stone is a member of the International Trade Council^[8]

Personal Life

Lord Stone is separated from his wife, Lady Wendy Stone of Blackheath, whom he met whilst both working for Marks & Spencer. They have three children, Daniel, Jessica and Susie, as well as two grandchildren, Zhiva and Asher. Lord Stone has had sexual liaisons with a number of colleagues and employees including Co-Director of Olset Limited, Anthi Theiopoulou; former Marks & Spencers Buying Assistant, Rebecca Stratton; and Houses of Parliament employee, Emma Wharton.^[9]

References