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Bird revealed in 2010 that "my secret is that I'm really a working class Tory.... I'd love to be a liberal because they're the nice people, but it's really hard work. I can't swallow their gullibility and I think their ideas are stupid.... I know this will destroy my reputation among middle-class
343:
arm of The Big Issue Group, initially only dealing in loan finance, in 2009 Big Issue Invest launched a social investment fund, and has since invested more than ÂŖ30 million in hundreds of social enterprises making a positive impact in communities across the UK.
404:
liberals.... Wearing the corsetry of liberalism means that every now and then you have to take it off." He has since stated that he has "been hurt by the Left, and helped by the Left. Just like I've been helped by the Right and hurt by the Right."
363:. In May 2007, he unveiled his election manifesto for the 2008 mayoral election, but in October of that year, Bird announced that he had decided not to run for mayor and was instead going to launch a movement "to try and do what the
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while being sought by the police for petty offences. In the early 1970s, he started to build upon his prison education and set up a small-scale printing and publishing business in London.
244:, and supplemented his income by stealing. Between work, he spent several spells in prison during his teens and twenties where he learnt to read, write and the basics of printing.
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magazine started as a London venture but expanded with specific editions and services to other
British cities, and then to other countries. Bird is also the founder of the
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Twice divorced, Bird married firstly in 1965 Linda
Stewart Haston, by whom he had one daughter. He married secondly in 1973 Tessa Swithinbank, younger daughter of
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family. He became homeless at the age of five, resided in an orphanage between the ages of seven and ten, and was often excluded from school.
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on Future
Generations and Libraries, and is vice-chairman of the Groups on Poverty, Ending Homelessness and Social Enterprise. He also leads
336:, Bird founded Big Issue Invest, a provider of finance for businesses, charities and NGOs with the aim of creating positive social change.
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for his originality in raising awareness of homelessness and his support of homeless communities worldwide. He accepted the
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did over the bomb, but over social injustice". In
November 2016, Bird suggested that he was initially asked to stand as the
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446:"Someone said to me, 'How did you get into the House of Lords?' and I said, 'By lying, cheating and stealing'."
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389:â a business model used to address a social or environmental needs. The programme was supported by the
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329:, which now incorporates over 100 street papers, and is published in 34 countries in 24 languages.
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465:, he speaks on social enterprise, social mobility, literacy and the Arts. Lord Bird co-chairs the
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664:, having a son and a daughter. Married since 2004 to Parveen Sodhi, Lord and Lady Bird live in
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798:""It's a confederacy of amateurs" â John Bird opens up the House of Lords in BBC documentary"
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He currently serves on the Board of
Directors for The Big Issue Group, which incorporates
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1314:'Ethical Entrepreneurs' â Bird talks about his early life and entrepreneurial journey
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In March 2007, Bird announced his intention to stand as an independent candidate for
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in 2000. In 2018, Bird was inducted into the
Professional Publishers Association
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in 2007 â prior to the selection of the eventual winner and later Prime
Minister
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Lord Bird's work is non-partisan and focuses on dismantling the root causes of
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as a non-party political "People's Peer", on 30 October 2015, he was created
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on poverty, literacy and social business, and is a member of the
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Peers recommended by the House of Lords
Appointments Commission
844:. Bigissue.com (7 September 2011). accessed 26 September 2011.
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1022:"Express Yourself: Celebrities reveal their guilty pleasures"
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Bird was a Social
Enterprise Ambassador, a scheme run by the
1050:"Big Issue founder John Bird appointed to House of Lords"
714:"Big Issue doesn't stand out in a crowd, admits founder"
745:"John Bird: 'At five I sold wooden boxes for firewood'"
200:
that is edited by professional journalists and sold by
1001:"Saying goodbye to the social enterprise ambassadors"
269:, where he later returned upon being elevated to the
251:, but was homeless again by 1967, sleeping rough in
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1128:"Lord Speaker's Advisory Panel on Works of Art"
521:(MBE) for "services to homeless people" in the
488:the "Well-being of Future Generations Bill", a
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1170:Today For Tomorrow. accessed 11 February 2023
8:
332:In 2001, with The Big Issue Group chairman,
313:Big Issue Invest (its social investment arm)
240:He became a butcher's boy after leaving the
1414:Members of the Order of the British Empire
1328:Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom
1323:
773:"How we met; John Bird and Gordon Roddick"
43:
20:
519:Member of the Order of the British Empire
16:British social entrepreneur and life peer
1168:The Wellbeing Of Future Generations Bill
707:
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622:. In 2015, he became a Senior Fellow of
190:. He is best known as the co-founder of
1189:(Supplement). 17 June 1995. p. 15.
771:Greenstreet, Rosanna (27 August 1995).
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492:he is currently promoting as part of a
423:Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
458:, early intervention and prevention.
409:House of Lords Appointments Commission
327:International Network of Street Papers
258:For two weeks in 1970, he worked as a
1217:, Plymouth University, archived from
1214:John Bird MBE â Doctorate of Business
999:David Ainsworth (15 September 2010).
182:(born 30 January 1946), is a British
7:
963:"Big Issue founder targets poverty"
937:"Big Issue owner unveils manifesto"
743:McGrath, Nick (23 September 2013).
605:Professional Publishers Association
593:British Society of Magazine Editors
552:in the School of Journalism at the
1419:Life peers created by Elizabeth II
909:"Big Issue owner to run for mayor"
696:Debrett's Peerage & Baronetage
14:
1095:Smith, Mikey (26 February 2016).
1084:. 5 November 2015. p. 21710.
890:The big thing about the Big Issue
712:Lakhani, Nina (23 October 2011).
400:, and ran between 2007 and 2010.
284:In September 1991, Bird launched
211:Lord Bird sits as an independent
586:Goldsmiths, University of London
582:Liverpool John Moores University
548:Lord Bird currently serves as a
525:, in 2006, Bird was awarded the
456:well-being of future generations
296:. In November 1995, he launched
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1384:English people of Irish descent
467:All-Party Parliamentary Groups
300:to further support vendors of
1:
601:The Revd. Marcus Morris Award
570:Honorary Doctorate of Letters
175:John Anthony Bird, Baron Bird
1300:Bird's UK Parliament profile
354:Workers' Revolutionary Party
216:member of the House of Lords
57:Member of the House of Lords
1202:. accessed 3 February 2012.
1200:2005/6 Beacon Prize Winners
531:UN-HABITAT Scroll of Honour
383:Social Enterprise Coalition
73:7 December 2015 â
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454:, with an emphasis on the
391:Office of the Third Sector
280:and work with the homeless
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668:with their two children.
574:Oxford Brookes University
378:â but refused the offer.
352:Bird was a member of the
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988:www.conservativehome.com
855:"About Big Issue Invest"
626:and in 2017 he became a
616:Entrepreneur of the Year
614:In 2008, Bird was named
599:in 1993 and was awarded
541:(2002â13), on behalf of
496:, "Today For Tomorrow".
385:to promote awareness of
317:The Big Issue Foundation
298:The Big Issue Foundation
1404:Street newspaper people
1409:Homelessness activists
879:www.haberdashers.co.uk
514:
448:
208:or vulnerably-housed.
1399:Crossbench life peers
1275:www.burkespeerage.com
835:The Big Issue History
554:University of Lincoln
523:1995 Birthday Honours
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490:private member's bill
264:Palace of Westminster
249:Chelsea School of Art
127:Chelsea School of Art
1116:www.politicshome.com
898:, published May 1994
840:1 March 2009 at the
632:Social Enterprise UK
494:cross-party campaign
26:The Right Honourable
1286:www.theguardian.com
750:The Daily Telegraph
644:Sir Robert Ricketts
566:Plymouth University
484:Bird introduced to
226:Bird was born in a
184:social entrepreneur
1389:People from London
1305:Bird's columns in
1221:on 19 October 2013
1186:The London Gazette
1138:on 31 January 2018
1081:The London Gazette
684:www.standard.co.uk
597:Editor of the Year
558:Honorary Doctorate
550:Visiting Professor
539:President of Kenya
515:
500:Honours and awards
442:Lord Bird stated:
369:Conservative Party
1362:
1361:
1157:www.parliament.uk
1132:www.parliament.uk
1056:. 13 October 2015
1030:. 25 October 2010
969:. 18 October 2007
620:Ernst & Young
527:Beacon Fellowship
481:on Works of Art.
452:poverty in the UK
407:Nominated by the
387:social enterprise
341:social investment
334:Nigel Kershaw OBE
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96:John Anthony Bird
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1353:Followed by
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1134:. Archived from
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576:. He is also an
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87:Personal details
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917:. 22 March 2007
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578:Honorary Fellow
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361:Mayor of London
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479:Advisory Panel
398:Cabinet Office
356:in the 1970s.
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348:Political work
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290:Gordon Roddick
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440:maiden speech
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323:The Big Issue
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302:The Big Issue
299:
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294:The Body Shop
291:
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286:The Big Issue
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138:The Big Issue
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108:(age 78)
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61:Lord Temporal
58:
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41:
36:
30:The Lord Bird
27:
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19:
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1259:
1247:. Retrieved
1243:
1234:
1223:, retrieved
1219:the original
1213:
1207:
1195:
1184:
1175:
1163:
1152:
1140:. Retrieved
1136:the original
1131:
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1111:
1102:Daily Mirror
1100:
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1079:
1070:
1058:. Retrieved
1053:
1044:
1034:26 September
1032:. Retrieved
1025:
1016:
1004:. Retrieved
994:
983:
973:26 September
971:. Retrieved
966:
957:
947:26 September
945:. Retrieved
943:. 1 May 2007
940:
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921:26 September
919:. Retrieved
912:
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895:The Guardian
893:
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862:. Retrieved
858:
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819:
807:. Retrieved
801:
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780:. Retrieved
776:
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754:. Retrieved
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723:. Retrieved
717:
695:
690:
679:
654:
641:
615:
613:
609:Hall of Fame
600:
596:
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547:
542:
517:Appointed a
516:
483:
475:Lord Speaker
460:
449:
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432:crossbencher
419:Notting Hill
416:
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260:washer-upper
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235:London Irish
228:Notting Hill
225:
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174:
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112:Notting Hill
75:
68:
18:
1374:1946 births
1249:11 February
1240:"John Bird"
1181:"No. 54066"
1076:"No. 61400"
1006:11 February
864:11 February
803:Radio Times
535:Mwai Kibaki
436:Upper House
1368:Categories
1348:Baron Bird
1225:18 October
1142:30 January
1060:1 November
824:www.ft.com
782:1 November
756:1 November
725:1 November
698:(2019 edn)
672:References
486:parliament
463:parliament
413:Baron Bird
393:, part of
233:to a poor
222:Early life
213:crossbench
102:1946-01-30
1344:Gentlemen
603:from the
438:. In his
372:candidate
253:Edinburgh
242:orphanage
188:life peer
163:Life Peer
133:Known for
123:Education
118:, England
76:Life Peer
69:In office
1054:BBC News
967:BBC News
941:BBC News
914:BBC News
838:Archived
653:Theresa
562:Business
512:insignia
428:for life
206:homeless
204:who are
198:magazine
1319:YouTube
809:1 March
568:and an
471:debates
434:in the
421:in the
271:peerage
267:canteen
262:in the
1244:Ashoka
666:London
657:Cripps
638:Family
628:Fellow
624:Ashoka
145:Awards
116:London
572:from
564:from
288:with
1251:2023
1227:2013
1144:2018
1062:2015
1036:2011
1008:2023
975:2011
949:2011
923:2011
866:2023
811:2017
784:2015
758:2015
727:2015
584:and
339:The
315:and
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