John Cope, Baron Cope of Berkeley

The Lord Cope of Berkeley
Paymaster-General
In office 14 April 1992 – 20 July 1994
Preceded by	John Ganzoni
Succeeded by	David Heathcoat-Amory
Member of Parliament for Northavon
In office 13 June 1983 – 1 May 1997
Preceded by	Constituency Created
Succeeded by	Steve Webb
Member of Parliament for South Gloucestershire
In office 28 February 1974 – 13 June 1983
Preceded by	Frederick Corfield
Succeeded by	Constituency Abolished
Personal details
Born	(1937-05-13) 13 May 1937
Political party	Conservative

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

Career

Cope was educated at Oakham School before qualifying as a Chartered Accountant. 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.

Charity work

Lord Cope is a Patron of the charity Kids for Kids, helping children in rural areas of Darfur, Sudan and President of the Friends of the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases in Bath.