Sarah A. "Sally" Oppenheim-Barnes, Baroness Oppenheim-Barnes, PC (''née'' Viner; born 26 July 1928) * ''See also'': is a British

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...

Early life

Born in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...

in 1928, Viner was raised and educated in

Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire a ...

, where her father founded a steel and cutlery company. She attended Lowther College and worked as a social worker in London before entering politics.

Career

At the 1970 general election, she defeated Jack Diamond to represent the constituency of

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east ...

; Diamond was the only cabinet minister to lose his seat at that election. She continued as

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...

for Gloucester until 1987 and was

Minister of State Minister of State is a title borne by politicians in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a Minister of State is a Junior Minister of government, who is assigned to assist a specific Cabinet Minister. In ...

for Consumer Affairs in the Department of Trade between 1979 and 1982. Oppenheim-Barnes was created a life peer, as Baroness Oppenheim-Barnes of

in the County of

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of Gl ...

, on 9 February 1989. Her son Phillip Oppenheim is a former Conservative MP for

Amber Valley Amber Valley is a local government district and borough in the east of Derbyshire, England, taking its name from the River Amber. It covers a semi-rural zone with four main towns whose economy was based on coal mining and remains to some exte ...

. Between 1983 and 1987 mother and son served simultaneously in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. T ...

. On 25 February 2019 she retired from the House of Lords under the

House of Lords Reform Act 2014 The House of Lords Reform Act 2014 is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Act was a private member's bill. It received Royal Assent on 14 May 2014. The Act allows members of the House of Lords to retire or resign – actions previousl ...

References

External links

*
Women's Rights: Radical Change
– video of Oppenheim appearing in a BBC debate first televised in 1974 1928 births Living people Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Life peeresses created by Elizabeth II Conservative Party (UK) life peers Female members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies Irish emigrants to the United Kingdom Irish Jews UK MPs 1970–1974 UK MPs 1974 UK MPs 1974–1979 UK MPs 1979–1983 UK MPs 1983–1987 Members of Parliament for Gloucester Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Jewish British politicians People educated at Lowther College Politicians from Sheffield Politicians from Dublin (city) 20th-century British women politicians 20th-century English women 20th-century English people {{England-Conservative-UK-MP-1920s-stub