The Rt Hon Sir (Frederick Edward) Robin Butler, Baron Butler of Brockwell, of Herne Hill in the London Borough of Lambeth, KG, GCB, CVO, PC (born 3 January 1938) is a retired British civil servant, now sitting in the House of Lords as a life peer.

He had a high profile career in the civil service from 1961 to 1998, serving as Private Secretary to five prime ministers. He was Secretary of the Cabinet and Head of the Home Civil Service from 1988-98.

Butler was educated at Harrow School and University College, Oxford, where he took a double first in Mods and Greats and twice gained a rugby Blue . He joined HM Treasury in 1961, becoming Private Secretary to the Financial Secretary to the Treasury 1964-6 and Secretary to the Budget Committee 1965–9.

He was seconded to the Bank of England and several City institutions in 1969 and later at HM Treasury as Assistant Secretary, General Expenditure Intelligence Division, led the team which installed the UK Government's computerised financial information system 1975–7. He had been a founder member of the Central Policy Review Staff under Lord Rothschild 1971–2. After several senior appointments at the Treasury, he became second Permanent Secretary, Public Expenditure, 1985–7.

He was Private Secretary to Prime Ministers Edward Heath (1972-1974) and Harold Wilson (1974–1975), and Principal Private Secretary to Margaret Thatcher (1982–1985). He was also Cabinet Secretary during the premierships of Margaret Thatcher, John Major and Tony Blair.

Butler married Gillian Lois Galley in 1962. They have a son and two daughters.

He became the Master of University College, Oxford in 1997, and was made a life peer in the 1998 New Year Honours List.

In February 2004 it was announced that Lord Butler of Brockwell would chair an inquiry into the use of intelligence in the lead up to the 2003 Iraq War. His report concluded that some of the intelligence about Iraq's possession of "Weapons of Mass Destruction" was seriously flawed.

External links

• Oxford University Gazette announcement of election as Master
• Vacher Dod biography of Lord Butler of Brockwell
• The Arms of Lord Butler of Brockwell