Lord Palumbo

James Palumbo is co-founder and chairman of Ministry of Sound Group. Having previously worked in the City, he launched Ministry of Sound nightclub in a disused bus depot in Elephant and Castle in 1991. It quickly became an iconic London landmark and branched out into other areas – Ministry of Sound is now the biggest independent record company in the world.

In 2001, Palumbo stepped away from the day-to-day running of the business but remains the majority shareholder. His involvement in politics dates back several decades to his work on the Drugs Misuse Act, which gave police powers to shut down premises where drug dealing was suspected.

Palumbo has been an active supporter of the Liberal Democrats since the early 1990s. After the Coalition was formed, he helped modernise the Party by installing new operating and marketing systems. He has also been involved in a number of Liberal Democrats campaigns, including the 2012 London mayoral election. In October 2013, Palumbo was created a Life Peer taking the title Baron Palumbo of Southwark, in the London Borough of Southwark