Andrew Stone, Baron Stone of Blackheath is a Labour member of the House of Lords. He joined Marks and Spencer plc as a trainee in 1966 and retired his position as joint managing director of the company in 1999. He was created a life peer as Baron Stone of Blackheath, of Blackheath in the London Borough of Greenwich on 29 October 1997. He is currently a director of several non-government organisations, a retail company and is involved in several charities. He also chairs the charity DIPEx that helps patients gain information on their condition and their options. He was the non-executive chairman of Deal Group Media plc until 2007, when he resigned from this position. He is an advisory board member of The Next Century Foundation. He has voted strongly for the introduction of a smoking ban and for gay rights. He is a working Labour Peer and does not usually rebel against his party.