Albert Oram, Baron Oram

Who was Albert Oram, Baron Oram?

Albert Edward Oram, Baron Oram, was a Co-operative and Labour politician in the United Kingdom.

Bert Oram, the son of the blacksmith who made the beautiful railings around Chichester cathedral, was educated at Brighton, Hove and Sussex Grammar School and the London School of Economics. 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 three days after D-Day, continuing on the campaign into Germany. 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 seats of Lewes, in 1945, where he was supported by the charismatic Harold Laski and by his future wife Joan, and of Billericay, in 1950, where he 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. His maiden speech concentrated on the successes of the cooperative movement. In January 1958 he introduced a private members bill to reform and speed up parliamentary procedures.