Elizabeth Jean Barker, Baroness Barker (born 31 January 1961) is a Liberal Democrat member of the House of Lords.
The Baroness Barker | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2023 | |
| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal | |
| Assumed office 31 July 1999 Life Peerage | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 31 January 1961 |
| Political party | Liberal Democrats |
| Alma mater | University of Southampton |
| Occupation | Politician |
Barker was educated at Dalziel High School, a secondary school in Motherwell, Scotland.[1] She studied at the University of Southampton.[2]
Barker worked for Age Concern between 1983 and 2007. She was created a life peer as Baroness Barker, of Anagach in Highland, on 31 July 1999[3] and is a Liberal Democrat spokesperson on the Voluntary Sector and Social Enterprise.[4]
Barker revealed in a speech to the House of Lords that she was in a same-sex relationship during the passage of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013.[5] She since became a Patron of Opening Doors London,[6] a charity which provided support for older LGBT people, and an Ambassador for the Albert Kennedy Trust.
Barker is Co-Chair[7] of both the All-Party Parliamentary Group on HIV, AIDS and Sexual Health[8] and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Sexual and Reproductive Health in the UK.[9] In the House of Lords she also serves as Deputy Speaker (since April 2024), as Deputy Chairman of Committees, and as Liberal Democrat Spokesperson on the Voluntary Sector.[10]
References
External links
- Baroness Barker profile at the site of Liberal Democrats
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Ms Elizabeth Barker