Brendan Barber

The Lord Barber of Ainsdale
Official portrait, 2025
Chair of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service
In office
2014–2020
MinisterVince Cable
Sajid Javid
Greg Clark
Andrea Leadsom
Alok Sharma
Kwasi Kwarteng
Jacob Rees-Mogg
Preceded byEd Sweeney
Succeeded byClaire Chapman
10th General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress
In office
2003–2012
Preceded byJohn Monks
Succeeded byFrances O'Grady
Deputy General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress
In office
1993–2003
Preceded byJohn Monks
Succeeded byFrances O'Grady
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
Assumed office
20 January 2025
Life peerage
Personal details
Born
Brendan Paul Barber

(1951-04-03) 3 April 1951
Southport, England
Political partyLabour
Alma materCity, University of London

Brendan Paul Barber, Baron Barber of Ainsdale (born 3 April 1951), is a British trade union official and life peer. He served as chair of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) Council until 2020. He is a former general secretary of the United Kingdom's Trades Union Congress (TUC); a post he held from June 2003 until his retirement at the end of 2012. He was appointed Acas Chair in 2014, replacing Ed Sweeney, who had been in the post since 2007. He also serves on the board of the Banking Standards Board (since 2015), the Board of Transport for London (2013–), the board of Britain Stronger in Europe (since 2015), the Council of City University, London and the board of Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts (since 2014).