The Baroness Barran | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2018 | |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the School System and Student Finance[a] | |
| In office 17 September 2021 – 5 July 2024 | |
| Prime Minister | Boris Johnson Liz Truss[1] Rishi Sunak[2] |
| Preceded by | The Baroness Berridge |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Civil Society | |
| In office 26 July 2019 – 17 September 2021 | |
| Prime Minister | Boris Johnson |
| Preceded by | The Lord Ashton of Hyde |
| Succeeded by | Nigel Huddleston |
| Baroness-in-Waiting Government Whip | |
| In office 22 November 2018 – 26 July 2019 | |
| Prime Minister | Theresa May |
| Preceded by | The Baroness Manzoor |
| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal | |
| Assumed office 2 July 2018 Life Peerage | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1959-02-10)10 February 1959 (age 66) |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Alma mater | King's College, Cambridge |
Diana Francesca Caroline Clare Barran, Baroness Barran (born 10 February 1959) is a British charity campaigner, former hedge fund manager andConservative Party life peer. She is the founder of the domestic abuse awareness charitySafeLives and served as its chief executive from 2004 to 2017.
Diana Barran attendedBenenden School inKent. She then studied atKing's College, Cambridge, graduating with a bachelor's degree in history.[3]
Her career in the finance industry began from 1980 to 1983 as an analyst and fund manager for Europe atMorgan Grenfell. Between 1983 and 1985, she managed funds for Europe at Lombard Odier International. From 1985 to 1990, Barran led the European equity research at Enskilda Securities inLondon andParis. From 1990 to 1992, she served as the chief executive and head of European investments at Enskilda Asset Management. She founded thehedge fund Barran and Partners in 1993. Barran left Beaumont Capital in 2001 shortly before its sale toSchroders. Barran owned 10% of Beaumont Capital at the time of her departure.[3][4]
Barran worked as an investment banker in London and Paris forMorgan Grenfell and Enskilda Asset Management and founded thehedge fund Barran and Partners in 1993. Barran left Beaumont Capital in 2001 shortly before its sale toSchroders. Barran owned 10% of Beaumont Capital at the time of her departure.[4]
Barran is a formertrustee ofComic Relief and a former chair of theHenry Smith Charity. Barran has worked as the head of grant development forNew Philanthropy Capital and as the firms donor adviser.[5]
On 26 July 2019, Barran was appointedParliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Civil Society at theDepartment for Culture, Media and Sport in thefirst Johnson ministry. The role included responsibility for the department's business in theLords andFirst World War commemorations.[6]
Barran assumed the "loneliness portfolio" in 2019, taking on the role of "Minister of Loneliness" that former Prime MinisterTheresa May established in 2018, which had previously been held byTracey Crouch andMims Davies. The position aimed to address the crisis of loneliness in British society that a 2017commission initiated byJo Cox had investigated.[7] According to the BritishRed Cross, more than 9 million people in the UK feel lonely.[8]
On 17 September 2021, Barran was appointedParliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the School System at theDepartment for Education, in the secondcabinet reshuffle of thesecond Johnson ministry.[9] She was reappointed to this position byLiz Truss. She was reappointed byRishi Sunak but the portfolio changed to Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the School System and Student Finance.[10]
Barran is married with four children.[5] Her husband is Julian Barran, an art-dealer and collector. He was an auctioneer for many years atSotheby's and specialized inDiaghilev andBallets Russes sales.[11][12] For 2019, he was a Joint Patron of theHolburne Museum in Bath.[13]
In the2011 Birthday Honours, Barran was appointed aMember of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).[14][5]
In May 2018, it was announced that she will be conferred alife peerage.[15][16] On 21 June, she was createdBaroness Barran,ofBathwick in theCity of Bath.[17]
In 2022, she received anHonorary Doctorate of the University (DUniv) from theUniversity of Bath.[18]
Barran was on the list of the BBC's100 Women announced on 23 November 2020.[19]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Civil Society and Loneliness 2019–present | Incumbent |
