Oona King facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Baroness King of Bow
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King in 2010
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| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal |
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| In office 26 January 2011 – 9 July 2024 |
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| Member of Parliament for Bethnal Green and Bow |
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| In office 1 May 1997 – 11 April 2005 |
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| Preceded by | Constituency created |
| Succeeded by | George Galloway |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Oona Tamsyn King
22 October 1967 Sheffield, Yorkshire, England |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse |
Tiberio Santomarco
(m. 1994) |
| Children | 4 |
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| Relatives |
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| Alma mater | |
Oona Tamsyn King, also known as Baroness King of Bow, is a British business leader and former politician. She was born on October 22, 1967. She served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Bethnal Green and Bow from 1997 to 2005. Later, she became a member of the House of Lords, which is part of the UK Parliament, from 2011 until 2024.
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Early Life and Education
Oona King was born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. Her father, Preston King, was an African-American academic. Her mother, Hazel King, was a British Jewish social justice activist. Oona King has family connections to important figures. Her aunt is the doctor Miriam Stoppard, and the actor Ed Stoppard is her cousin.
Her family on her father's side includes American civil rights activists and successful business people. Her grandfather, Clennon Washington King Sr., and his wife had many children. One of her uncles, C. B. King, was a pioneering civil rights lawyer in Georgia, USA.
King attended Haverstock Comprehensive Secondary School in London. She was at school at the same time as other future Labour politicians, David Miliband and Ed Miliband.
She briefly joined a political group called the Socialist Workers Party during her first year at the University of York. In her second year, she received a scholarship to study at the University of California, Berkeley. She graduated in 1990 with a top degree in politics.
Political Career
Before becoming an MP, Oona King worked as a researcher for the European Parliament. She also served as a political assistant to Glyn Ford and later Glenys Kinnock, who were both Members of the European Parliament. From 1995 to 1997, she worked as a political organizer for the GMB trade union.
She was chosen to represent the area of Bethnal Green and Bow in early 1997. There were some disagreements within the local Labour Party about who should be chosen.
Becoming a Member of Parliament
When she won the seat in 1997, Oona King became the second black woman to be elected as a Member of Parliament in the UK. The first was Diane Abbott. In her first speech in Parliament, King spoke about the unfair treatment she and her family had faced when she was younger.
She described herself as "multi-ethnic" and said she represented a diverse area. She highlighted how hardship in her constituency led to important social reforms, like the creation of the NHS. She stressed the need to fight poverty and the importance of education.
King was part of the international development committee in Parliament. She also served as the vice-chair of the group focused on Bangladesh. In 2002, she spoke in a debate about the Queen's Speech, where she shared her thoughts on genocide after visiting Rwanda. She also worked as a special assistant to government ministers. In 2003, she was named one of "100 Great Black Britons."
The 2005 General Election
The 2005 general election was a very tough contest for Oona King in Bethnal Green and Bow. Her support for the Iraq War was a major issue, as her constituency had a large Muslim population. George Galloway challenged her for the seat.
King described the election as one of the "dirtiest" she had seen in British politics. She reported facing unfair treatment and challenges due to her background. Both candidates received police protection during the campaign. King lost the seat to George Galloway by a small number of votes. She believed that false claims in some local newspapers also played a part in her defeat.
After Parliament
After losing her seat, Oona King decided to pursue a career in the media. In 2007, she published her autobiography, The Oona King Diaries: House Music.
In 2008, Prime Minister Gordon Brown appointed her as his Senior Policy Adviser. Her role was to advise on equality, diversity, and faith issues. In January 2009, King became the head of diversity at Channel 4, a major UK television channel.
London Mayoral Campaign
In 2010, Oona King tried to become the Labour Party candidate for the Mayor of London election. She ran against Ken Livingstone. King's campaign focused on engaging with young people to help reduce crime and achieve their potential.
She was shortlisted for the nomination in June 2010. King emphasized her experience in working with top ministers and her willingness to work with political opponents. Ken Livingstone won the nomination in September 2010.
Becoming a Peer
On January 26, 2011, Oona King was made a life peer. This means she became a member of the House of Lords for life, with the title Baroness King of Bow. She officially joined the House of Lords on January 31, 2011, sitting with the Labour Party.
When she joined the Lords, King stepped down from her role at Channel 4. In 2016, she took a break from the House of Lords to work as the Diversity Director for YouTube. In 2019, she left Google to join Snap, Inc. (the company behind Snapchat) as their first Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion. King has also been recognized in the annual Powerlist as one of the most influential people of African/African-Caribbean descent in the UK.
In January 2024, King announced she had left Snap, Inc. to join Uber as their Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer. She retired from the House of Lords on July 9, 2024.
Media Work
Oona King has appeared on several television shows. These include This Week, The Daily Politics, and Have I Got News for You. She hosted a BBC Two documentary about Martin Luther King Jr. called American Prophet in 2008. In January 2013, she participated in the ITV skating show Dancing on Ice.
Personal Life
In 1994, Oona King married Tiberio Santomarco in Brussels, Belgium. The couple has adopted three children. They also have a fourth child who was born to a surrogate mother in 2013. Oona King is fluent in both Italian and French.
