It is with deep sadness that the Next Century Foundation announces the passing of our Senior Trustee, Lord David Alliance of Manchester, who died peacefully on 18 July 2025. Lord Alliance’s life was a testament to resilience, enterprise, and a deep commitment to the causes of dialogue, justice, and peace – values that lie at the heart of the NCF’s mission.
It was Lord Alliance who first encouraged the Next Century Foundation to work on Iran. He hosted the early meetings with Ayatollah Safavi. He negotiated the rapprochement over Salman Rushdie, Iran´s public condemnation of Suicide Bombing, the release of the imprisoned British sailors and many other key issues. We miss his wise hand at the moment on the nuclear weapons issue.
Born in Iran in 1932, David Alliance came to the United Kingdom as a young man, building a remarkable career in the textile industry and eventually becoming one of the leading industrialists of his generation. As Chairman of Coats Viyella, he played a key role in modernising British manufacturing and forging global partnerships. His business achievements were recognised when he was created a life peer in 2004 as Baron Alliance of Manchester, a city with which he maintained a lifelong connection.
Beyond business, Lord Alliance was a passionate advocate for public service and international engagement. He devoted much of his life serving on several committees and building understanding across cultural and political divides. His steadfast support for NCF over many years helped enable our work in conflict resolution, media freedom, and peace-building efforts across the Middle East and beyond.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him. His passing is a great loss to the NCF and to all who are committed to building bridges in a fractured world. We honour his memory by continuing the work to which he devoted so much of his life.
May he rest in peace.
2 Responses
What a shock! Lord Alliance, the man who could probably tie a knot in a shoelace and still run a global company, is gone. While we mourn the loss of such a pillar of modern manufacturing and diplomatic bridge-building, lets be honest, who knew the world needed *that* many life peers? His dedication to committees sounds almost meditative, though perhaps a tad less exciting than, say, mastering the art of the corporate handshake across continents. On a serious note, his support for the NCFs noble work is a testament to a man who clearly knew a good cause when he saw one. Heres to Lord Alliance, who probably had a perfectly efficient way of making peace even from the grave. May his legacy of forging connections continue, even if were slightly surprised it took him leaving to truly start the process.Đồng hồ đếm ngược online
May he rest in peace.