Bryan Hopkin facts for kids

Sir Bryan Hopkin (born 7 December 1914 – died 10 October 2009) was a Welsh economist. An economist is someone who studies how countries manage their money, goods, and services. He spent a lot of his career giving important economic advice to the British government. At other times, he taught economics at universities. He did not agree with some of the economic plans of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

Life and Career

Early Life and Education

Bryan Hopkin went to school at Barry Grammar School. He then studied at St John's College, Cambridge, a famous university. There, he learned from a very well-known economist named John Maynard Keynes. After Cambridge, he continued his studies at University of Manchester.

Advising the Government

During World War II, in 1941, Bryan Hopkin started working for the government. He was a civil servant at the Ministry of Health. Winston Churchill, who was the Prime Minister, chose him to join the government's team that collected and analyzed important numbers and facts.

Hopkin spent many years giving advice to the government. Later, in 1972, he became a Professor of Economics at Cardiff University.

Leading Economic Advice

In 1973, he became the head of the Government Economic Service. This meant he was the main economic advisor to the government. He gave advice to Denis Healey, who was in charge of the country's money at the time.

This was a difficult period for the economy. Groups of workers, called unions, were asking for much higher pay. Also, inflation was rising. Inflation means that prices for goods and services go up, so your money buys less. Hopkin helped Healey convince people to follow a plan to control pay increases.

Return to University and Disagreements

After his time advising the government, Hopkin returned to work at the university. From there, he spoke out against the policies of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The economy was not doing well, and Mrs. Thatcher wanted to cut government spending. Hopkin and many other economists disagreed. They believed the government should spend more money to help the economy grow.

Awards and Family

Bryan Hopkin was recognized for his important work. He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1961. He was then knighted in 1971, which meant he could use the title "Sir."

In 1938, he married Renée Recour, who passed away in 2002. They had two sons together. Sir Bryan Hopkin died in Bedford in 2009.