Editing Jim Prior (section)

== Later years ==
In 1986, he collaborated with John Cassels and [[Pauline Perry, Baroness Perry of Southwark|Pauline Perry]] to create the [[Council for Industry and Higher Education]] (CIHE), which would become the [[National Centre for Universities and Business]] in 2013. He also released a memoir, ''A balance of power''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.dib.ie/biography/prior-james-michael-leathes-jim-a10336 | title=Prior, James Michael Leathes ('Jim') &#124; Dictionary of Irish Biography }}</ref>

He retired from Parliament in 1987, and was created a [[life peer]] as '''Baron Prior''', of [[Brampton, Suffolk|Brampton]] in the [[County of Suffolk]], on 14 October 1987.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=51097 |date=21 October 1987 |page=12971}}</ref>

He was chairman and later vice-president of the Rural Housing Trust from 1990 to 1999.<ref name = Garnett/>

In 1992 he was appointed [[Chancellor (education)|chancellor]] of [[Anglia Ruskin University]] and held that position until 1999. He was made Honorary Doctor of the University at Anglia Ruskin University in 1992.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Rt Hon James Prior – ARU |url=https://www.aru.ac.uk/graduation-and-alumni/honorary-award-holders2/the-rt-hon-james-prior |access-date=2024-07-29 |website=www.aru.ac.uk |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Rt Hon James Prior – ARU |url=https://www.aru.ac.uk/graduation-and-alumni/honorary-award-holders2/the-rt-hon-james-prior |access-date=2024-08-03 |website=www.aru.ac.uk |language=en}}</ref>

Following his retirement from politics he was much sought after in the world of business: he served as chairman of both [[General Electric Company|GEC]] and [[Allders]], and had directorships at [[Barclays]], [[Sainsbury's]] and [[United Biscuits]].<ref name = Garnett/>

Prior was interviewed about the rise of [[Thatcherism]] for the 2006 [[BBC]] TV documentary series ''[[Tory! Tory! Tory!]]'' and in 2012 as part of [[The History of Parliament]]'s oral history project.<ref name='HoPPrior'>{{cite web |title=Oral history: PRIOR, James (b.1927) |url=http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/oral-history/member/prior-james-1927 |publisher=[[The History of Parliament]] |access-date=14 July 2016}}</ref><ref name='BLPrior'>{{cite web |title=Lord James Prior interviewed by Mike Greenwood |url=http://cadensa.bl.uk/uhtbin/cgisirsi/?ps=kM1klLjMyp/WORKS-FILE/190390041/9 |publisher=[[British Library Sound Archive]] |access-date=14 July 2016}}</ref>