Keith Bright

{{Short description|Transport executive in London (1931–2021)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Sir Keith Bright | birth_date = {{Birth date|1931|08|30|df=yes}} | death_date = 20 January 2021 | occupation = Chairman of [[London Transport Executive (GLC)|London Transport Executive]]: 1982–1984 Chairman of [[London Regional Transport]]: 1984–1988 }} '''Sir Keith Bright''' (30 August 1931 – 20 January 2021)<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|date=2021-01-22|title=Sir Keith Bright, London Transport chairman when the King's Cross fire broke out|language=en-GB|work=[[Daily Telegraph]]|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2021/01/22/sir-keith-bright-london-transport-chairman-kings-cross-fire/|access-date=2021-02-03|issn=0307-1235}}</ref> was Chairman of [[London Regional Transport]] in the 1980s. He resigned following the Fennell Report into the [[King's Cross fire]] in 1988, that criticised the management of [[London Underground]] and London Transport.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Eliason|first=Marcus|date=10 November 1988|title=Report Denounces Staff Response to Deadly Fire; Top Men Quit|url=https://apnews.com/article/0eb7ac0b389021884dc431dc703a3cd7|access-date=2021-02-03|website=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref>

== Biography == Graduating from the [[University of London]], Bright worked for a wide variety of companies including [[Formica (plastic)|Formica]], [[Sime Darby]] and [[Huntley & Palmers|Associated Biscuits]].''<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|last1=Bright|first1=Keith|last2=Porter|first2=Melinda Camber|last3=Flicek|first3=Joseph R.|title=Night angel : one-woman musical|isbn=978-1-942231-35-6|edition=First printing POD|location=Sag Harbor, New York|oclc=1137741954}}</ref>''

=== London Transport === Bright was headhunted by the [[Greater London Council|Greater London Council (GLC)]] to lead London Transport, despite having no experience in the transportation industry. He was appointed Chairman of the [[London Transport Executive (GLC)|London Transport Executive (LTE)]] in 1982.<ref name="bright">{{cite news|last=Baily|first=Michael|date=18 May 1982|title=Top LT job is offered to food firm man|page=2|newspaper=[[The Times]]|issue=61236|url=http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itw/infomark/873/219/73132259w16/purl=rc1_TTDA_0_CS35490482&dyn=40!xrn_5_0_CS35490482&hst_1|accessdate=14 July 2010}}</ref> Underground ridership was declining, and efforts to reduce costs by cutting service, increasing ticket prices or cutting staff were blocked by Unions and the GLC – led by [[Ken Livingstone]].<ref name=":1" />

Following [[Fares Fair|political rows]] between the [[Second Thatcher ministry|Conservative government]] and the GLC, the [[London Regional Transport Act 1984]] removed the transport powers of the GLC, with LTE becoming London Regional Transport. Bright remained as chairman, reporting directly to the [[Secretary of State for Transport]].<ref name=":1" /> Improvements such as the [[Travelcard]], automatic ticket machines and more night buses helped to improve service and increase revenue. Expenditure was also cut, with job losses due to the [[privatisation of London bus services]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=21 January 1988|title=Huge job losses at LRT {{!}} 21st January 1988 {{!}} The Commercial Motor Archive|url=http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/21st-january-1988/18/huge-job-losses-at-lrt|access-date=2021-02-03|website=archive.commercialmotor.com}}</ref> The requirement of taxpayer support was halved to £95m a year, 2 years ahead of schedule.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|title=Underground in London|date=18 June 1988|url=http://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/18th-june-1988/8/underground-in-london-|access-date=2021-02-03|website=[[The Spectator]]}}</ref> By 1987, the Underground was 40% busier than its 1982 low – with future plans for transport improvements such as the [[Docklands Light Railway]] and the [[Jubilee Line Extension]] well underway.<ref name=":1" /> In 1987, Bright was knighted for services to London Transport.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sir Keith Bright, Chairman and Chief Executive of London Regional...|url=https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/sir-keith-bright-chairman-and-chief-executive-of-london-news-photo/1041716676|access-date=2021-02-03|website=Getty Images|language=en-gb}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=31 December 1986|title=New Year's Honours 1987|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/50764/data.pdf|access-date=3 February 2020|website=[[London Gazette]]}}</ref>

==== Kings Cross fire ==== In 1987, a major [[King's Cross fire|fire at King's Cross Underground station]] killed 31 people.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Raines|first=Howell|date=1987-11-19|title=32 Are Killed in Fire At London Subway; 80 Reported Injured|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/11/19/world/32-are-killed-in-fire-at-london-subway-80-reported-injured.html|access-date=2021-02-03|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=|first=|date=1987-11-18|title=1987: King's Cross station fire 'kills 27'|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/18/newsid_2519000/2519675.stm|access-date=2021-02-03}}</ref> Following the fire, Bright offered to resign; however, Transport Secretary [[Paul Channon]] requested Bright to stay as chairman throughout the subsequent [[public inquiry]].<ref name=":1" /> During the inquiry, Bright was criticised for suggesting that an [[arson]]ist was to blame for the fire.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|first=|date=1988-11-10|title=London Subway Officials Quit Over Fire Criticism|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-11-10-mn-500-story.html|access-date=2021-02-03|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]|language=en-US}}</ref> In 1988, the Fennell Report into the fire was published, which revealed serious issues with the safety of the Underground and its management culture.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Fennell, Desmond, 1929-|title=Investigation into the King's Cross underground fire.|date=1988|publisher=[For] Department of Transport [by] H.M.S.O|others=Great Britain. Department of Transport.|isbn=0-10-104992-7|location=London|pages=|oclc=19271585}}</ref> Both Bright and [[Tony Ridley]] (Chairman of London Underground) resigned.<ref name=":3" /> He was replaced on an caretaker basis by [[Neil Shields|Sir Neil Shields]] (1988–89),<ref>{{cite web|date=17 September 2002|title=Sir Neil Shields |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1407480/Sir-Neil-Shields.html|accessdate=4 February 2010|publisher=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Daily Telegraph (London)]]}}</ref> and then by [[Wilfrid Newton|Sir Wilfrid Newton]]. London Regional Transport subsequently paid Bright £34,000.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sir Keith Bright (Hansard, 18 October 1989) |url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1989/oct/18/sir-keith-bright#S6CV0158P0_19891018_CWA_94 |access-date=2025-03-05 |website=api.parliament.uk}}</ref>

=== Subsequent career === After his resignation from London Transport, Bright became chairman of [[Electrocomponents]]. Further chairperson and directorship positions followed including [[Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust]], [[British Airports Authority]] and [[Brent Walker]].''<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":1" />''

=== Later years and death === After several years with [[Alzheimer's disease]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bright|first=Octavia|date=2020-07-14|title=Alzheimer's Turned My Sense Of Responsibility Upside Down|url=https://www.elle.com/uk/life-and-culture/culture/a33274996/alzheimers-responsibility-turned-upside-down/|access-date=2021-02-03|website=[[ELLE]]|language=en-GB}}</ref> Bright died in January 2021 from [[Coronavirus disease 2019|COVID-19]], aged 89.<ref name=":0" /> Bright was survived by his wife Margot and their daughter Octavia, as well as a son and daughter from his first marriage.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-01-22 |title=Sir Keith Bright, London Transport chairman when the King's Cross fire broke out – obituary |language=en-GB |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2021/01/22/sir-keith-bright-london-transport-chairman-kings-cross-fire/ |access-date=2023-08-29 |issn=0307-1235}}</ref>

In July 2023, Octavia published a memoir, ''This Ragged Grace: On Recovery and Renewal'', about her relationship with her father in his later years living with dementia.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bright |first=Octavia |date=2023-06-06 |title='I knew the terror of lost time': how my father's dementia echoed my own alcoholism |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2023/jun/06/terror-of-lost-time-how-my-fathers-dementia-echoed-my-own-alcoholism |access-date=2023-08-29 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

== See also == * [[List of heads of public transport authorities in London]]

== References == {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bright, Keith}} [[Category:1931 births]] [[Category:2021 deaths]] [[Category:Alumni of the University of London]] [[Category:People associated with transport in London]] [[Category:20th-century English businesspeople]]