Lorraine Barrett
Encyclopedia
Lorraine Barrett is a former Welsh Labour & Co-operative
Member of the National Assembly for Wales
for Cardiff South and Penarth
and an Assembly Commission
er since 2007. She stood down from her seat in 2011.
Barrett publicly announced in February 2009 that she would not be seeking re-election to the Assembly in 2011 and would instead pursue her new vocation as a member of the British Humanist Association
having now trained as a secular Celebrant
. She will conduct Humanist or non-religious funeral ceremonies for local residents.
, Rhondda
to Rosina and Donald Booth, a retired coalminer, and went to Porth County School for Girls. In 1972, she married Paul "Legs" Barrett
, the well known manager/agent of rock and roll acts such as Shakin' Stevens and the Sunsets
(until 1977), the Jets, Matchbox
, Crazy Cavan and the Rhythm Rockers
and Linda Gail Lewis
. They have a son, Lincoln Barrett, also known as drum and bass DJ High Contrast
and a daughter, Shelley Miranda, who has appeared in many television programmes and starred as 'Mandy' in BBC Wales cult comedy series 'Satellite City'. Shelley is married to the former Australian actor Richard Norton.
and Penarth
Town Council and worked as an assistant to the current Cardiff South and Penarth Member of Parliament
, Alun Michael
from 1987-99. She was a member of the Welsh Labour executive and the National Policy Forum
.
Barrett is a member of the Transport & General Workers Union and chairs the Co-operative Party Group and the All-Party Parliamentary Group
on Animal Welfare within the Assembly. She is an Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society
. She is also a member of the British Humanist Association and is now a trained Celebrant, conducting Humanist or non-religious funeral ceremonies.
Barrett in her new capacity as Assembly Commissioner for a Sustainable Environment was involved in a 2007 row over genetically modified foods in the Welsh Assembly Canteen. The Assembly had earlier signed a document committing to "maximum restrictions on GM crops" when it later became apparent that the Assembly canteen was serving items containing GM ingredients. The canteen organizers commented "Some of our food contains ingredients produced from genetically modified soya and/or maize. If you want to know which ones please ask the staff for details." Barrett later explained "We have discussed this with our in-house caterers, Charlton House. They do not deliberately source GM foods and in fact make every effort to avoid using GM products. However, some items in everyday use, such as baked beans, tinned tomatoes and tomato ketchup are known to contain GM ingredients."
Barrett has remained critical of the planned Cardiff Bay expansion of "something like 1,250 apartments a year". Barrett suggests this might cause future problems as currently, in 2008, up to one third already built are still not occupied. Barrett asserts that the flat complexes will not help to build up a cohesive community and too little attention has been paid to develop affordable housing. With the recent dramatic falls in property values, sales in the area have become problematic. Therefore landlords might be forced to consider renting their properties out to "people who may not be suited to that type of living."
Barrett has been visibly active in pressing for the Cardiff Bay Barrage to be opened up for pedestrian and cycle traffic as the provision would permit many Penarth residents who work in the Bay area to dispense with car travel and reduce traffic congestion on the existing routes. After repeated delays, disputes with the landowners over rights of way and several missed opening dates, the promised pedestrian and cyclist short cut to Cardiff across the barrage finally opened to the public on Friday 27 June 2008. Barratt was one of the first to cross, walking to work at the Assembly and she described the experience as "invigorating".
Co-operative Party
The Co-operative Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom committed to supporting and representing co-operative principles. The party does not put up separate candidates for any UK election itself. Instead, Co-operative candidates stand jointly with the Labour Party as "Labour...
Member of the National Assembly for Wales
National Assembly for Wales
The National Assembly for Wales is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. The Assembly comprises 60 members, who are known as Assembly Members, or AMs...
for Cardiff South and Penarth
Cardiff South and Penarth (Assembly constituency)
Cardiff South and Penarth is a constituency of the National Assembly for Wales. It elects one Assembly Member by the first past the post electoral system...
and an Assembly Commission
Assembly Commission
The National Assembly for Wales Commission is the corporate body for the National Assembly for Wales. The Commission is responsible for ensuring the property, staff and services are provided for the Assembly...
er since 2007. She stood down from her seat in 2011.
Barrett publicly announced in February 2009 that she would not be seeking re-election to the Assembly in 2011 and would instead pursue her new vocation as a member of the British Humanist Association
British Humanist Association
The British Humanist Association is an organisation of the United Kingdom which promotes Humanism and represents "people who seek to live good lives without religious or superstitious beliefs." The BHA is committed to secularism, human rights, democracy, egalitarianism and mutual respect...
having now trained as a secular Celebrant
Humanist officiant
A Humanist officiant is a person who performs secular humanist celebrancy services for weddings, funerals, child namings, coming of age ceremonies, and other rituals...
. She will conduct Humanist or non-religious funeral ceremonies for local residents.
Personal background
Barrett was born in YnyshirYnyshir
Ynyshir , meaning "Long Island" in English, is a village and a community located in the Rhondda Valley, within Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales. The village takes its name from a farm in the area, falling within the historic parishes of Ystradyfodwg and Llanwynno . The community of Ynyshir also...
, Rhondda
Rhondda
Rhondda , or the Rhondda Valley , is a former coal mining valley in Wales, formerly a local government district, consisting of 16 communities built around the River Rhondda. The valley is made up of two valleys, the larger Rhondda Fawr valley and the smaller Rhondda Fach valley...
to Rosina and Donald Booth, a retired coalminer, and went to Porth County School for Girls. In 1972, she married Paul "Legs" Barrett
Paul Barrett
Paul Franklyn "Legs" Barrett is the UK's best known agent and manager of 1950s style Rock and Roll artistes, an author and previously a singer and film actor...
, the well known manager/agent of rock and roll acts such as Shakin' Stevens and the Sunsets
Shakin' Stevens and the Sunsets
Shakin' Stevens and the Sunsets were a rock and roll group formed in Cardiff, Wales in 1969. Although most notable now for their lead singer Shakin' Stevens, who went on to become one of the UK's most popular artists of the 1980s, the band released several records and toured extensively throughout...
(until 1977), the Jets, Matchbox
Matchbox (band)
Matchbox is an English rockabilly band that formed in 1971, and is still active .-Career:Matchbox was formed in 1971 by Iain "Houndog" Terry, Fred Poke, Jimmy Redhead and Wiffle Smith. After 1978, the line-up consisted of Graham Fenton , Steve Bloomfield , Gordon Scott , Fred Poke and Jimmy Redhead...
, Crazy Cavan and the Rhythm Rockers
Crazy Cavan and the Rhythm Rockers
Crazy Cavan and the Rhythm Rockers are a Teddy Boy band from South Wales...
and Linda Gail Lewis
Linda Gail Lewis
Linda Gail Lewis is an American singer and pianist. She is the sister of Jerry Lee Lewis.She plays piano and has recorded with Stephen Ackles, Van Morrison, and with her brother. She also has recorded with her two daughtersMaryJean Ferguson, and Annie Marie Dolan in a group called The Lewis 3...
. They have a son, Lincoln Barrett, also known as drum and bass DJ High Contrast
High Contrast
Lincoln Barrett, better known by the stage name High Contrast , is a Welsh drum and bass DJ and producer.-History:...
and a daughter, Shelley Miranda, who has appeared in many television programmes and starred as 'Mandy' in BBC Wales cult comedy series 'Satellite City'. Shelley is married to the former Australian actor Richard Norton.
Professional career
She was a nurse and a Councillor in the Vale of GlamorganVale of Glamorgan
The Vale of Glamorgan is a county borough in Wales; an exceptionally rich agricultural area, it lies in the southern part of Glamorgan, South Wales...
and Penarth
Penarth
Penarth is a town and seaside resort in the Vale of Glamorgan , Wales, 5.2 miles south west from the city centre of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff and lying on the north shore of the Severn Estuary at the southern end of Cardiff Bay...
Town Council and worked as an assistant to the current Cardiff South and Penarth Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, Alun Michael
Alun Michael
Alun Edward Michael is a British Labour Co-operative politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Cardiff South and Penarth since 1987. He was formerly First Minister of Wales and leader of the Welsh Labour Party from 1999 to 2000.-Education:Michael was born at Bryngwran Anglesey, son of...
from 1987-99. She was a member of the Welsh Labour executive and the National Policy Forum
National Policy Forum
The National Policy Forum of the British Labour Party is part of the policy-making system of the Party, set up by Leader Tony Blair as part of the Partnership in Power process....
.
Barrett is a member of the Transport & General Workers Union and chairs the Co-operative Party Group and the All-Party Parliamentary Group
All-Party Parliamentary Group
An all-party parliamentary group is a grouping in the UK parliament that is composed of politicians from all political parties.-All-party parliamentary groups:...
on Animal Welfare within the Assembly. She is an Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society
National Secular Society
The National Secular Society is a British campaigning organisation that promotes secularism and the separation of church and state. It holds that no-one should gain advantage or disadvantage because of their religion or lack of religion. It was founded by Charles Bradlaugh in 1866...
. She is also a member of the British Humanist Association and is now a trained Celebrant, conducting Humanist or non-religious funeral ceremonies.
Welsh Assembly Commissioner
Barrett was elected to the Welsh National Assembly as the member for Penarth and Cardiff South in May 1999 and has subsequently been re-elected twice. Her current term as an Assembly member will end in 2011.Barrett in her new capacity as Assembly Commissioner for a Sustainable Environment was involved in a 2007 row over genetically modified foods in the Welsh Assembly Canteen. The Assembly had earlier signed a document committing to "maximum restrictions on GM crops" when it later became apparent that the Assembly canteen was serving items containing GM ingredients. The canteen organizers commented "Some of our food contains ingredients produced from genetically modified soya and/or maize. If you want to know which ones please ask the staff for details." Barrett later explained "We have discussed this with our in-house caterers, Charlton House. They do not deliberately source GM foods and in fact make every effort to avoid using GM products. However, some items in everyday use, such as baked beans, tinned tomatoes and tomato ketchup are known to contain GM ingredients."
Barrett has remained critical of the planned Cardiff Bay expansion of "something like 1,250 apartments a year". Barrett suggests this might cause future problems as currently, in 2008, up to one third already built are still not occupied. Barrett asserts that the flat complexes will not help to build up a cohesive community and too little attention has been paid to develop affordable housing. With the recent dramatic falls in property values, sales in the area have become problematic. Therefore landlords might be forced to consider renting their properties out to "people who may not be suited to that type of living."
Barrett has been visibly active in pressing for the Cardiff Bay Barrage to be opened up for pedestrian and cycle traffic as the provision would permit many Penarth residents who work in the Bay area to dispense with car travel and reduce traffic congestion on the existing routes. After repeated delays, disputes with the landowners over rights of way and several missed opening dates, the promised pedestrian and cyclist short cut to Cardiff across the barrage finally opened to the public on Friday 27 June 2008. Barratt was one of the first to cross, walking to work at the Assembly and she described the experience as "invigorating".