Anthony Bamford to the Conservative Party and donated £1m before the 2010 General Election. Altogether, Bamford has donated more than £4m personally and through JCB companies. Prime Minister David Cameron recommended Bamford for a peerage in 2010. However, Bamford withdrew his name from consideration days before the members were announced. On 3 October 2013 he was created a life peer taking the title Baron Bamford, of Daylesford in the County of Gloucestershire and of Wootton in the County of Staffordshire. In June 2016, Bamford wrote a letter in support of voting to leave the European Union to his employees. JCB has donated
Joseph Bamford initially worked for English Electric developing electric welding equipment in Stafford. A short return stint with the family firm proved too stifling, and his Uncle Henry released him, saying he thought Joe had "little future ahead of him." After selling Brylcreem for a short while, in October 1945 Bamford rented a by 15 ft lock-up garage for 30 shillings (= £1.50) a week, and made a farm trailer from scrap steel and war surplus Jeep axles, using a prototype electric welder bought for £2-10s (= £2.50). He opened for business on the day his first son, Anthony, was born, and