Dame Shelagh Marjorie Roberts DBE (13 October 1924 – 16 January 1992) was a British Conservative party politician who served on the Greater London Council from 1970–81 and represented London South West in the

European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...

from 1979–89. Her service in the European Parliament was briefly interrupted in 1979 when it was discovered that she held an

office of profit An office of profit means a position that brings to the person holding it some financial gain, or advantage, or benefit. It may be an office or place of profit if it carries some remuneration, financial advantage, benefit etc. It is a term used in ...

under the Crown and was disqualified from serving. She then resigned the office of profit, and was re-elected as an MEP a few months later. After failing to be re-elected to the European Parliament in 1989 she was made Chairman of the London Tourist Board, serving until her death. It was announced on 31 December 1991 that she was to be created a life peer, but she died before this process could be completed.

Early life

Roberts was born in

Port Talbot Port Talbot (, ) is a town and community in the county borough of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, situated on the east side of Swansea Bay, approximately from Swansea. The Port Talbot Steelworks covers a large area of land which dominates the south ...

, Wales on 13 October 1924 and was educated at Milford Haven County School,

Ystalyfera Ystalyfera is a former industrial village and community (Wales), community in the upper Swansea Valley, on the River Tawe, about northeast of Swansea. It is an ward (politics), electoral ward and a community (Wales), community in the unitary a ...

School and then St. Wyburn School at

Birkdale Birkdale is an area of Southport, within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, though historically in Lancashire, in the north-west of England. The area is located on the Irish Sea coast, approximately a mile away from the centre of S ...

."Dame Sheiagh Roberts." Times ondon, England20 Jan. 1992: 14. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 31 May 2014. After leaving school she started work with the

Inland Revenue The Inland Revenue was, until April 2005, a department of the British Government responsible for the collection of direct taxation, including income tax, national insurance contributions, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, corporation t ...

in Liverpool.

Politics

In 1964 Roberts was a general election candidate for

Caernarfon Caernarfon (; ) is a royal town, community and port in Gwynedd, Wales, with a population of 9,852 (with Caeathro). It lies along the A487 road, on the eastern shore of the Menai Strait, opposite the Isle of Anglesey. The city of Bangor is ...

, but was heavily defeated by the incumbent Goronwy Roberts, then a Minister of State in the Labour government. Roberts was a member of Kensington Borough Council from 1953 to 1971 and of the Greater London Council for

Havering The London Borough of Havering () in East London, England, forms part of Outer London. It has a population of 259,552 inhabitants; the principal town is Romford, while other communities are Hornchurch, Upminster, Collier Row and Rainham. The ...

from 1970 to 1973 and

Upminster Upminster is a suburban town in East London, England, within the London Borough of Havering. Located east-northeast of Charing Cross, it is one of the district centres identified for development in the London Plan. Historically a rural vill ...

from 1973 to 1981. In 1981 she was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire for her political work. She was a member of Port of London Authority, Basildon Development Corporation and the Race Relations Board, and in October 1989 was appointed chairman of the London Tourist Board.

Europe

In 1979, in the first direct elections to the

, Roberts became a member of the European Parliament (MEP) representing London South West. When it was discovered that she was a member of the Occupational Pensions Board, for which she received a small salary from the Crown, her election as an MEP was declared invalid. She resigned from the Board and was elected again to the European Parliament. She lost her seat to Labour in 1989.

Life Peer

In recognition of her political work, she was appointed a Life Peer in the

1992 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1992 were appointments by most of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries, and honorary ones to citizens of other countri ...

, but died from cancer on 16 January 1992, aged 67, before she could take her seat in the House of Lords. Roberts had never married.

References

Links

Profile
qub.ac.uk; accessed 15 May 2016. {{DEFAULTSORT:Roberts, Shelagh 1924 births 1992 deaths Conservative Party (UK) MEPs Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire Members of the Greater London Council MEPs for England 1979–1984 MEPs for England 1984–1989 People from Port Talbot 20th-century women MEPs for England Conservative Party (UK) parliamentary candidates Deaths from cancer in England Women councillors in England