Denys Gribbin obituary

My friend and colleague Denys Gribbin, who has died aged 85, played a very important role in the development of economic advice to the Board of Trade (BOT) and Office of Fair Trading (OFT), among others. He was a true friend and mentor to his civil service colleagues. He always did his job with the utmost integrity, with never a thought for personal advancement. He was born in Liverpool, and his first job was as an engineering apprentice in the dockyards there. Following the second world war, he obtained an economics degree from Hull University and had various private sector jobs. Then, in 1966, Denys joined a small team of economists at the BOT. There he displayed two key characteristics. First, he always sought opportunities to provide economic advice. Secondly, he would persuade others that economic analysis was important enough for resources to be made available. In both respects, Denys was remarkably successful, such that by 1970-71, economics had moved into almost every area of BOT policy. When the OFT began in 1973, Denys became its first chief economist. Again, he successfully expanded the policy role for economists. He studied the early development of UK competition policy and the significance of cartels in the 1950s. He was delighted to discover the important role that economists (including Hugh Gaitskell and GC Allen) had played in that development during the second world war. In 1977 he joined the Price Commission (PC), again establishing economics as the key driving force with his customary professionalism. When the PC closed, Denys typically thought of his team first and ensured they all found posts, mainly in the Monopolies and Mergers Commission (MMC), which he also joined. Here again his talents for hard work and detailed factual analysis served to enhance the MMC's reputation. He retired from the civil service in 1986. Denys's integrity and rigour were second to none. He always fully supported his team, and this trust and respect was reciprocated. Quietly spoken, yet determined, he was a true leader in every sense of the word. He is survived by his second wife, Pat; a daughter, Sarah, and son, Matthew from his first marriage; and two stepchildren, Jennifer and Steven.