Anthony St John
Profile Verified by The Marque
Last Updated: 22 Sep 2026
Consultant
London, GB
Profile Verified by The Marque
Last Updated: 22 Sep 2026
THE MARQUE
In Their Own Right
Biography
The Lord St John of Bletso is a crossbench (independent) peer with Special Parliamentary Interests that include FinTech, education, Southern Africa, wildlife conservation and the environment. He is also a highly respected businessman, solicitor, philanthropist and he was Extra Lord in Waiting to HM Queen Elizabeth II.
Anthony St John took up his seat in the House of Lords in 1978 and has served on many Select Committees including on Artificial Intelligence/Robotics, Communications, and is a Past President of Friends of South Africa. He is currently Vice Chairman of All Party Parliamentary Groups on South Africa, Zimbabwe, Endangered Species, and a Council Member of the Parliamentary Information Technology Committee.
Anthony was educated in South Africa where he qualified as an attorney (solicitor). He began his career at Shell, working as a legal adviser and auditor before moving to the UK to complete his Master of Laws (LLM) at the LSE. Following his admittance as a Registered Representative of the London Stock Exchange, Anthony worked for over 20 years in financial services, initially as an oil analyst for County NatWest Securities. He went on to work for Smith New Court before acting as senior consultant to Merrill Lynch, focussing on Southern Africa, the Far East and Parliamentary liaison.
He has served on the boards of both public and private companies and is currently Chairman of Yellow Cake plc, Integrated Diagnostic Holdings plc and Strand Hanson Ltd. Anthony also advises and mentors several SMEs, with a particular focus on FinTech and Southern Africa.
Anthony is a dedicated philanthropist and acts as a Trustee to six charities including the Nick Maughan Foundation, the Berkshire Youth Trust, and The Life Neurological Research Trust.
In 1998, Lord St John was appointed as Extra Lord in Waiting to HM Queen Elizabeth II, a position he held until she passed in 2022.
The Record
Background
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1978 — 2026
Crossbencher
House of Lords
Anthony took his seat in the UK Parliament’s House of Lords in 1978. He sat as a Crossbencher, or Independent, and he was not aligned to any political party. He retired from the House of Lords at the end of March 2026.
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1989 — 1991
Smith New Court
Smith New Court was the UK's biggest independent stockbroker. It was acquired by Merrill Lynch in 1995. Anthony coordinated UK and European Equity Sales to Japanese institutional clients as an FSA Registered Representative.
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1991 — 2008
Consultant
Merrill Lynch
Anthony acted as a consultant to Smith New Court until 1996, and thereafter Merrill Lynch International. His work focused on corporate broking, particularly in Southern Africa and the Far East, as well as Parliamentary liaison.
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1986 — 1989
Oil Analyst
County NatWest Securities
Anthony worked for County NatWest Securities as an oil analyst specialising in sales to the Far East. County NatWest merged with the company's foreign exchange and treasury departments in the early 1990s, forming NatWest Markets.
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1984 — 1986
Internal Auditor, Retail Network & Legal Advisor
Shell
Shell is a petrochemicals and energy conglomerate that has a global presence in more than 70 countries. Anthony worked as an internal auditor and legal adviser in South Africa.
In The News
Newsfeed
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18 August 2026 · LinkedIn
The Interceptor Gap - The Changing Economics of Drone Warfare
Read more -
9 August 2026 · LinkedIn
Climate Change - Hope is not a resilience strategy
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12 March 2024 · Zambian Observer
UK debates tightening Zimbabwe sanctions as China, Russia influence grows
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6 June 2022 · Fintech Finance News
Exploring UK’s New Era for Money at Money20/20 Europe
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15 February 2022 · Portfolio Adviser
Smithson appoints new chair
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In Frame
Gallery
Formative Years
Education
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London School of Economics
LLM (Master of Laws) Chinese and Maritime Law
1982 — 1984
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University of South Africa
BProc (Law)
1979 — 1982
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UCT | University of Cape Town
BA; BSocSc (Psychology)
1975 — 1979
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Bishops – Diocesan College
1965 — 1974
Areas Of Focus