Albert Oram, Baron Oram

Albert Edward Oram, Baron Oram, (13 August 1913 – 5 September 1999), was a Co-operative and Labour politician in the United Kingdom.

Bert Oram was educated at Brighton Grammar School and the University of London. He became a teacher. In the Second World War he was initially recognised as a conscientious objector, but voluntarily renounced his exemption to join the army. He served in the Royal Artillery and landed in Normandy on D-Day, continuing on the campaign into Germany.'Strong Co-op voices, Brighton's co-operative rock', "The Co-operative News", p.18, 13 May 2008.] After the war he briefly returned to teaching before moving in 1946 to work for the Co-operative Party as Research Officer. He advocated consumer welfare and democratising industrial relations, writing a series of publications including "The People's Industry".

Oram attempted to win the parliamentary seat of Billericay but lost despite winning 19,437 votes. He served as Labour and Co-operative Member of Parliament for East Ham South from 1955 to February 1974. He was Parliamentary Secretary for Development 1964 to 1969 under Barbara Castle, and a Government Whip 1976 to 1978 in the House of Lords.

Oram was greatly interested in aiding development throughout the world, he was a European enthusiast and opponent to nuclear weapons. He became co-ordinator of the development programmes of the Co-operative Alliance in 1971 and held this office until 1973. He was a member of the Commonwealth Development Corporation in the years 1975 and 1976, and was made Chairman of the Co-operative Development Agency from 1978 to 1981.

On 22 January 1976, he was created Baron Oram, of Brighton in the County of East Sussex.

References

* [http://archives.lse.ac.uk/dserve.exe?dsqServer=lib-4.lse.ac.uk&dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqCmd=Show.tcl&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqPos=0&dsqSearch=(RefNo='oram') Catalogue] of Baron Oram's papers at [http://www.lse.ac.uk/library/archive/Default.htm LSE Archives]