Bernard Donoughue was born in September 1934. He was educated at Campbell Secondary Modern School and Northampton Grammar School before studying at Lincoln College and Nuffield College, Oxford. He was member of the editorial staff of The Economist from 1959-60 and a senior research officer of the Political and Economic Planning Institute between 1960 and 1963. He was an academic at the London School of Economics, 1963-74, before being appointed Senior Policy Adviser to the Prime Minister in 1974. He headed the Downing Street Policy Unit from 1974–79. After leaving Downing Street he was Development Director, Economist Intelligence Unit, 1979-81; Assistant Editor, "The Times", 1981-82; was a Partner of Grieveson, Grant & Co, 1983-86, worked for Kleinwort Grieveson Securities, 1986-88, and Bishopsgate International Investment Holdings, 1988-91. He was Opposition spokesman on Treasury, 1991-92, on Energy, 1991-93, and on National Heritage, 1992-97. He served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, MAFF, 1997-99. He has published (with G. W. Jones) "Herbert Morrison: portrait of a politician", 1973; "Prime Minister", 1987; "The Heat of the Kitchen" (memoirs), 2003; "Downing Street Diary: with Harold Wilson in Number Ten", 2005; and "Downing Street Diary: with James Callaghan in Number Ten", 2008. He was made a Life Peer in May 1985.