Pioneer who founded businesses empire dies at the age of 89

The Manchester businessman who founded one of the country’s most successful insurance firms has died at the age of 89.

Ken Scowcroft founded Swinton Insurance from his home 60 years ago and went on to build a business empire.

Gilles Normand, the current chief executive of Swinton Group, said: “Ken Scowcroft founded Swinton in 1957, and was a true pioneer of the insurance market, an original disruptor who enabled customers to compare prices and save money long before the internet arrived.

“We were extremely saddened to hear of his passing, and our condolences go to his wife Joyce, son Brian, daughters Janet and Karen and the rest of his family.

“It was a real pleasure to have met Ken at Swinton’s 60th birthday celebrations last year. He will be sadly missed.”

Brian Scowcroft worked with his father in the family business and talked about how he was a true pioneer.

He said: “Dad worked for a small chain of estate agents, heading what we would now call the financial services side.

“He went to his boss one day and said I think it would be a good idea if we sold motor insurance through the [six] shops’ and his boss turned him down so my dad went back to him and said ‘would you mind if I sold car insurance from my own house in the evenings?’ and his boss didn’t object.

“My mum ran it during the day and my dad ran it at night. I can remember having to go quietly into the back room while clients went to the front room.”

Ken Scowcroft was the first to act as an agent for insurance companies meaning he was more competitive than his rivals.

The first shop opened in Salford in 1964 and the firm expanded out of Greater Manchester to cover the whole of the UK.

By the end of the 1980s Swinton had 750 shops across the UK.

The company was sold to Sun Alliance in 1998 for £130m.

Last year the firm moved into new headquarters in the centre of Manchester.