Philip Harris, Baron Harris of Peckham

Business

Harris is currently an advisor and shareholder of Tapi Carpets, a flooring retailer set up recently by a number of the old Carpetright management team. Harris was the Chairman of Carpetright plc and has over fifty years' experience in carpet retailing. Harris left Carpetright in 2014, sold all of his shares and he was no longer associated with the company. In 2024 Tapi Carpets acquired the Carpetright name and intellectual property, making Harris once again Honorary President of both the Tapi and Carpetright brands.

He was chairman and chief executive of Harris Carpets. Harris Carpets acquired Queensway in 1977 to become Harris Queensway plc until the company was taken over in 1988.

Harris was also a non-executive director of Great Universal Stores plc for 18 years, retiring from the GUS Board in July 2004. Harris became a non-executive director of Matalan in October 2004.

Sunday Times Rich List

Harris ranked 206th in the Sunday Times Rich List, with an estimated wealth of £285m.

Conservative Party donations

Harris has been a donor to the Conservative Party since the 1980s and was a great admirer of Margaret Thatcher. He also made donations to David Cameron as leader of the Conservative Party and Michael Gove.

Comments on Theresa May

In a September 2017 interview with The Times he described Theresa May as very indecisive, hopeless during the general election campaign which she should have won easily, and leading a weak, directionless government.

Other comments made included his opposition to an expansion of grammar schools, May u-turning on too many decisions such as the so-called dementia tax, and the Home Office not reducing net migration to the tens of thousands as repeatedly promised. Harris spoke about potential candidates on who could succeed May as Conservative Party Leader.