John Cope, Baron Cope of Berkeley

John Ambrose Cope, Baron Cope of Berkeley, PC (born 13 May 1937) is a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom.^[1]

Career

Cope was educated at Oakham School before qualifying as a Chartered Accountant.^[2]

He 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 in until his defeat in the 1997 general election by the Liberal Democrat Steve Webb. In 1988, he was sworn of the Privy Council.

Cope served as Paymaster-General in John Major's government between 1992 and 1994. He was made a life peer as Baron Cope of Berkeley, of Berkeley in the County of Gloucestershire in 1997. He has 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.^[3]

Charity work

Lord Cope is a Patron of the charity Kids for Kids, helping children in rural areas of Darfur, Sudan,^[4] Patron of The West of England MS Therapy Centre ^[5] a charity helping those in Bristol and the surrounding areas live an independent life 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.^[6]

Lord Cope has also been a Trustee of War Memorials Trust since 1999 which is a conservation charity that works for the protection of war memorials across the United Kingdom.^[7]

References