Vaccine king who backs New Labour
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Paul Drayson's first business break was figuring out how to make biscuits in fancy shapes. He now runs one of the most successful pharmaceutical firms in Britain, has a paper fortune of £87m and can count Tony Blair among his friends.
He is said to have changed his Tory political allegiances after the establishment of New Labour and is now a member of the party
He was educated privately at St Dunstan's College in London and was awarded a PhD in robotics at Aston University before joining Rover Cars.
His first major coup was in 1991, when he led a management buy-out of Lambourne Foods, a subsidiary of the Trebor confectionary company. He devised a biscuit snack called a Scoople, which boosted the value of the company so that when it was sold Drayson made £250,000.
In 1993 he co-founded PowderJect Pharmaceuticals, now Britain's largest vaccine manufacturer. The City has loved him ever since. Equity analyst Julie Simmonds, from the firm Beeson Gregory, said: "He is seen as a dynamic character very much with his own mind. He's been a huge driving force in the success of PowderJect, which has a very good future ahead of it, with or without him at the helm. "
His passion for work, he says, stems from a commitment to developing much-needed drugs, having suffered from asthma as a child. He lives in Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire, with his wife, Elspeth, and four children.
He is a staunch defender of the right of companies to carry out animal testing, and has also suggested that the BBC television soap opera EastEnders should include a storyline on the MMR vaccine to counter parents' fears that it could be linked to autism.
But with his success and outspoken views has come media scrutiny and the deluge of bad publicity that has surrounded his business dealings with the Government.
"The criticism does make you realise how visible you are," he has said. "If you screw up, everyone knows about it and that's how it should be. That's the challenge."
His donations to the Labour Party fall far short of the £1.2m he gave to his local hospital.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments