Sally Oppenheim-Barnes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable The Baroness Oppenheim-Barnes PC
Oppenheim-Barnes in 1979
Minister of State for Consumer Affairs
In office 6 May 1979 – 4 March 1982
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by	John Fraser
Succeeded by	Gerard Vaughan
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
Life peerage 9 February 1989 – 25 February 2019
Member of Parliament for Gloucester
In office 18 June 1970 – 18 May 1987
Preceded by	Jack Diamond
Succeeded by	Douglas French
Personal details
Born	Sarah Amelia Viner (1928-07-26)26 July 1928 Dublin, Ireland
Died	1 January 2025(2025-01-01) (aged 96)
Nationality	British
Political party	Conservative
Spouses	Henry Oppenheim ​ ​ (m. 1949; died 1980)​ John Barnes ​ (m. 1984)​
Children	3, including Phillip

Sally Oppenheim-Barnes, also known as Baroness Oppenheim-Barnes, was an important British politician. She was a member of the Conservative Party. Born Sarah Amelia Viner on July 26, 1928, she passed away on January 1, 2025. She was a member of the Privy Council, a group of important advisors to the King or Queen.

Early Life and Education

Sally Oppenheim-Barnes was born Sarah Amelia Viner in Dublin, Ireland, on July 26, 1928. Her family was Jewish, and their original last name was Veiner. She grew up and went to school in Sheffield, England. Her father started a company there that made steel and cutlery.

After finishing her education at Lowther College, she worked as a social worker in London. This job involved helping people in need. In 1968, she legally changed her first name to "Sally."

Political Career

Sally Oppenheim-Barnes began her political journey in 1970. In the 1970 United Kingdom general election, she won the election to become the Member of Parliament (MP) for Gloucester. An MP is a person elected to represent a group of people in the House of Commons, which is part of the UK Parliament. She defeated Jack Diamond, who was a government minister at the time.

She continued to serve as the MP for Gloucester until 1987. During this time, from 1979 to 1982, she held an important government role. She was the Minister of State for Consumer Affairs in the Department of Trade. This role meant she was responsible for protecting the rights of people who buy goods and services.

Later Roles and the House of Lords

After leaving the House of Commons, Sally Oppenheim-Barnes continued her public service. From 1987 to 1989, she was the chairperson of the National Consumer Council. This organization works to make sure consumers are treated fairly. She also became a vice-president of the National Union of Townswomen’s Guilds. This group supports women in their communities. She also chaired the National Waterways Museum.

On February 9, 1989, she was given a special title called a life peer. This meant she became Baroness Oppenheim-Barnes of Gloucester. A life peer is a person who is given a title that lasts for their lifetime, allowing them to become a member of the House of Lords. The House of Lords is the second chamber of the UK Parliament.

Her son, Phillip Oppenheim, also became a Conservative MP. From 1983 to 1987, both Sally and Phillip Oppenheim served as MPs at the same time in the House of Commons. Baroness Oppenheim-Barnes retired from the House of Lords on February 25, 2019.

Personal Life

In 1949, Sally Viner married Henry Oppenheim, who was involved in property. They had three children together. Henry Oppenheim passed away in 1980. In 1984, she married her second husband, John Barnes. Sally Oppenheim-Barnes lived to be 96 years old.

External Links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Sally Oppenheim-Barnes
• Women's Rights: Radical Change – a video of Oppenheim in a BBC debate from 1974.
• Portraits of Sally Oppenheim-Barnes at the National Portrait Gallery, LondonLua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 22: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).