Principal Private Secretary to Margaret Thatcher
What was the position of Robin Butler, Baron Butler of Brockwell from 1982 to 1985?
Robin Butler , Baron Butler of Brockwell Frederick Edward Robin Butler , Baron Butler of Brockwell , ( born 3 January 1938 ) is a retired British civil servant , now sitting in the House of Lords as a crossbencher . Early life and family . Butler was born in Lytham St Annes , Lancashire , on 3 January 1938 . He went to Orley Farm School and Harrow School ( where he was Head Boy ) , then taught for a year at St Dunstans School , Burnham-on-Sea , before attending University College , Oxford , where he took a double first in Mods and Greats and twice gained a Rugby Blue . He married Gillian Lois Galley in 1962 . They have a son and two daughters . Civil service career . Butler had a high-profile career in the civil service from 1961 to 1998 , serving as Private Secretary to five Prime Ministers . He was Secretary of the Cabinet and Head of the Home Civil Service from 1988 to 1998 . He joined HM Treasury in 1961 , becoming Private Secretary to the Financial Secretary to the Treasury 1964–66 and Secretary to the Budget Committee 1965–69 . Early in his career , he was occasionally confused with his namesake Rab Butler . Memos for Rab Butler , some highly sensitive , ended up on his desk , and some of his ended up on Rabs . It was agreed that all memos ambiguously addressed to R Butler should go to Rabs office first , and then Rabs office would send on any intended for the other R Butler . It is said that one day the young Butler , who was still playing first class rugby , received a letter that read : You have been selected for the Richmond 1st XV on Saturday . Please be at Twickenham by 2 p.m. . Underneath , in Rabs distinctive handwriting , was the message : Dear Robin , I am not free on Saturday . Please could you deputise for me ? Rab ! In 1969 , he was seconded to the Bank of England and several City institutions . Later at HM Treasury as Assistant Secretary , General Expenditure Intelligence Division , he led the team which installed the UK Governments computerised financial information system 1975-77 . He had been a founder member of the Central Policy Review Staff under Lord Rothschild 1971–2 . After several senior appointments at the Treasury , he became second Permanent Secretary , Public Expenditure , 1985-87 . He was Private Secretary to Prime Ministers Edward Heath ( 1972–74 ) and Harold Wilson ( 1974–75 ) , and Principal Private Secretary to Margaret Thatcher ( 1982–85 ) . Along with Thatcher , he was almost killed in the 1984 IRA bombing of the Grand Hotel in Brighton . He was also Cabinet Secretary during the premierships of Margaret Thatcher , John Major and Tony Blair . Other activities . After retiring from the Civil Service , Butler was Master of University College , Oxford , 1998–2008 . He was announced to be made a life peer in the 1998 New Year Honours and was raised to the peerage as Baron Butler of Brockwell , of Herne Hill in the London Borough of Lambeth . He became a non-executive Director of HSBC Group from 1998 to 2008 . He is also Chairman of the Corporate Sustainability Committee and the HSBC Global Education Trust . In 2011 , he was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Salters . He is a Trustee of the Royal Academy of Music . In 2004 , Lord Butler chaired the Review of Intelligence on Weapons of Mass Destruction , widely known as the Butler Review , which reviewed the use of intelligence in the lead up to the 2003 Iraq War . The report concluded that some of the intelligence about Iraqs possession of Weapons of Mass Destruction was seriously flawed . The report also concluded , in regards the so-called Niger uranium forgeries , that the report Saddams government was seeking uranium in Africa appeared well-founded . Honours and arms . Honours . - Commander of the Royal Victorian Order ( CVO ) , 1986 New Year Honours - Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath ( KCB ) , 1988 New Year Honours - Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath ( GCB ) , 1992 Birthday Honours - Life peerage , 12 February 1998 - Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter ( KG ) , 23 April 2003 - Privy Counsellor ( PC ) , 2004 External links . - Oxford University Gazette announcement of election as Master - The Arms of Lord Butler of Brockwell - For the story about Rab Butlers memos - Debretts People of Today