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.

As a pupil he attended the private fee charging Kingham Hill School in Oxfordshire. He then became a History and Philosophy graduate from Jesus College at Oxford and after graduation a research fellow at Nuffield College and tutor. Later he did freelance work as a columnist for The Observer and as a journalist on the Financial Times (on electronic equipment and development), and was Roy Jenkins' official biographer.

Adonis did not actually join the Labour Party until 1995. In Oxford he had been an 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 not succeed. He was a local councillor in Oxford from 1987-1991.

He is son of a retired Greek Cypriot postman and has had a passion for steering steam locomotives around Wales. He is married to Kathryn Davies (born 31 January 1968) after being her tutor at University of Oxford. Mrs. Davies is a graduate from Jesus College and became 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.

As a co-author of the book "A Class Act" Adonis calls for strong 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 being himself 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 fee charging Deutsche Schule in Richmond/London [1]. Adonis has been known for admiring the German school system despite its extremely bad results in all OECD PISA studies.[2]

In September 2004 Adonis 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.

Adonis has never been elected but is said to have - despite his duty only to give advice - great policy influence (on education) 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]

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