John Cope, Baron Cope of Berkeley
The Lord Cope of Berkeley | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Opposition Chief Whip of the House of Lords | |
In office 18 September 2001 – 2 July 2007 | |
Leader | Iain Duncan Smith Michael Howard David Cameron |
Preceded by | The Lord Henley |
Succeeded by | The Baroness Anelay of St John's |
Paymaster General | |
In office 14 April 1992 – 20 July 1994 | |
Prime Minister | John Major |
Preceded by | The Lord Belstead |
Succeeded by | David Heathcoat-Amory |
Treasurer of the Household | |
In office 11 June 1983 – 15 June 1987 | |
Prime Minister | Margaret Thatcher |
Preceded by | Anthony Berry |
Succeeded by | David Hunt |
Member of Parliament for Northavon | |
In office 9 June 1983 – 8 April 1997 | |
Preceded by | Constituency established |
Succeeded by | Steve Webb |
Member of Parliament for South Gloucestershire | |
In office 28 February 1974 – 13 May 1983 | |
Preceded by | Frederick Corfield |
Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal | |
In office 4 October 1997 – 13 May 2020 Life Peerage | |
Personal details | |
Born | 13 May 1937 |
Political party | Conservative |
John Ambrose Cope, Baron Cope of Berkeley, PC (born 13 May 1937) is a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom.[1]
Education[]
Cope was educated at Oakham School before qualifying as a Chartered Accountant.[2]
Career[]
Cope contested Woolwich East in the 1970 General Election, but was defeated by Labour's Christopher Mayhew. Thereafter he served as Member of Parliament for South Gloucestershire from 1974 to 1983. When that constituency was abolished for the 1983 general election, he was returned for the new Northavon constituency, serving until his defeat in the 1997 general election by the Liberal Democrat Steve Webb. Within the Conservative Party, he was an Assistant Whip from June 1979 to June 1981.
His first political office was as a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury (June 1981 to June 1983), and then he was Treasurer of HM Household (1983-1987), and was then appointed Minister of State for Employment (with a special focus on small businesses) 1987–1989. He was then Minister of State for Security and Finance at the Northern Ireland Office until November 1990. In the meantime, in 1988, he was sworn as a member of the Privy Council. Cope served as Paymaster-General (HM Treasury) in John Major's government between 1992 and 1994.[3]
He was made a life peer as Baron Cope of Berkeley, of Berkeley in the County of Gloucestershire on 4 October 1997.[4] He served as Opposition Chief Whip in the House of Lords, on the Conservative front bench, from 2001 to 2007, when he was replaced by Baroness Anelay.
In 2012 Cope made the opening speech to the House of Lords, presenting a motion for the Loyal Address on the opening day of Parliament.[5]
He retired from the House of Lords on 13 May 2020, his 83rd birthday.[6]
Charity work[]
Lord Cope is a patron of the charity Kids for Kids, helping children in rural areas of Darfur, Sudan.[7] He is a patron of The West of England MS Therapy Centre,[8] a charity helping those in Bristol and the surrounding areas live independent lives whilst coping with MS and other neurological conditions, Lord Cope is also President of the Friends of the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases in Bath.[9]
Lord Cope has also been a Trustee of War Memorials Trust since 1999; this is a conservation charity that works for the protection of war memorials across the United Kingdom.[10]
References[]
- ^ "The American Sniper and Red Dot Sights". 18 April 2016.
- ^ "Members of the House of Lords". UK Parliament. Archived from the original on 17 June 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
- ^ "Parliamentary career for Lord Cope of Berkeley - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament". members.parliament.uk.
- ^ "No. 54914". The London Gazette. 8 October 1997. p. 11339.
- ^ "Lords Hansard text for 9 May 201209 May 2012 (pt 0001)". parliament.uk.
- ^ "Lord Cope of Berkeley". UK Parliament. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
- ^ "Kids For Kids". Kids For Kids.
- ^ "Charity in Bristol The Brightwell". The Brightwell.
- ^ "Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases - Help Fundraise". rnhrd.nhs.uk.
- ^ "War Memorials Trust". warmemorials.org.
- 1937 births
- Conservative Party (UK) life peers
- Life peers created by Elizabeth II
- Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
- Living people
- Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
- UK MPs 1974
- UK MPs 1974–1979
- UK MPs 1979–1983
- UK MPs 1983–1987
- UK MPs 1987–1992
- UK MPs 1992–1997
- United Kingdom Paymasters General
- Treasurers of the Household
- Knights Bachelor
- Northern Ireland Office junior ministers