Dr. Andrew Adonis (born c. 1963) is in general public less known. But since 1998 he became on certain issues (education) quite influential as a British policy-advisor in the Policy Unit for the Labour government under Tony Blair at Number 10. Between 2001 and 2003 he was the Head of this think tank. Since late 2003 he is the Prime Minister´s senior advisor on education, public services and constitutional reform.

Adonis did not actually join the Labour Party until 1995. In Oxford he had been a active member of the SDP in his late teens, and subsequently the Liberal Democrats until then. He wanted once one of their Oxford parliamentary seats but did no succeed. He became a local councillor from 1987-1991.

Lately he was rumoured by the media to have been heavily involved in the resignation of the then Secretary of State for Education and Skills, Estelle Morris, when they failed to work effectively together.

He has previously been an History and Philosophy graduate from Jesus College at Oxford, later a research fellow at Nuffield College and a columnist for The Observer and journalist on the Financial Times (on electronic equipment), and was Roy Jenkins' official biographer.

He is son of a retired Greek Cypriot postman and has had a passion for steering steam locomotives around Wales. He was pupil of the private Kingham Hill School in Oxfordshire.

He is married to Kathryn Davies (born 31 January 1968), one of his former Oxford students at Jesus College and later employee of Procter & Gamble (marketing of sanitary products) and Wella AG (public relations) in Germany. Mrs. Davies grew up in Tumbridge Wells, her family has walisian origins.

In his book "A Class Act" he calls for selection in schools. He is in fact regarded as being behind the curtains responsible for the introduction of top-up fees in England. It is said that he is opposed to the elitism of the 'Oxbridge' universities and independent schools, although beeing himslef called as an "elitist" since he is part and result of this elitism. It was a surprise to the informed public that in 2003 he and his wife planned to send one of their two sons to the private Deutsche Schule in Richmond/London [1] (http://www.dslondon.org.uk/). Adonis has been known for admiring the German school system despite its extremely bad results in all OECD PISA studies.[2] (http://resource.nusonline.co.uk/v1/pdf/3917.pdf)

Adonis has never been elected but is said to have - despite his duty only to give advice - great policy influence and ambition. This may explain why he became - as the Guardian puts it - "...a handy hate figure for critics of Tony Blair and the New Labour project". [3] (http://politics.guardian.co.uk/labour/story/0,9061,1399488,00.html)

Image: [4] (http://www.karrot.org.uk/graphics/adonis.jpg)