Tandragee woman enters the House of Lords becoming a Conservative peer, Baroness Cash of Banbridge in the County of Down
A Tandragee woman, who has been a Conservative politician for many years, has become a life peer in the House of Lords.
Joanne Catherine Cash, who was educated at Tandragee Primary and Banbridge Academy, was nominated to be a conservative life peer as part of the 2024 Political Peerages last December. She was created Baroness Cash, of Banbridge in the County of Down on January 28, 2025.
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Her mother was a newsagent, while her father held various jobs, sometimes up to three at once, Baroness Cash revealed. She also has a brother who is an NHS doctor, and a sister who is a teacher.
Joanne, who is married to multi-millionaire Octavius Black, read English Literature at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University. Cash was elected Librarian of the Oxford Union, but failed in her bid for its presidency.
Cash qualified as a barrister after graduating and was called to the Bar in 1994 as a member of Gray's Inn, and became a tenant at Farrars' Building. In 2000, she joined One Brick Court to specialise in libel, privacy and freedom of expression work.
Cash has represented a number of clients, including Elle Macpherson and Trudie Styler.
As a member of the Society of Conservative Lawyers, Cash assisted the Shadow Cabinet on legal issues. She also worked with Policy Exchange the centre-right think tank to formulate policy proposals and on media issues. She is a key Tory activist for libel reform and free speech.
In December 2007, Cash married Octavius Black, the founder and managing director of The Mind Gym. Friends who attended their exchange of vows ‘included Ed Vaizey and Michael Gove, Viscount and Viscountess Rothermere, Stuart Rose and Kirstie Allsopp’.
Black was educated at Eton College at the same time as David Cameron - the two men have stayed close. The couple are reported to live in Notting Hill. They have a daughter. Black is the son of socialite Brinsley Black and his second wife, Lady Moorea Wyatt.
Speaking to The Guardian when she was pregnant and standing for election to Westminster North, Cash dismissed claims her pregnancy would prevent her running an active campaign.
"When I was a child my father worked three jobs and my mum ran the shop we had all day, and did just fine with three children."
Baroness Cash’s former primary school teacher Ken Cardwell, said: “Joanne Cash was from an excellent family. I knew mother and father quite well.”
Mr Cardwell also taught Joanne’s brother, a doctor and her sister Caroline who later taught at Tandragee PS.
"They were all excellent pupils from a very, supportive family,” he said.
"Without a shadow of a doubt Joanne was one of the finest and certainly one of the brightest pupils I ever taught. Everything she did was very well done. She made a great contribution to that Primary Seven year I taught,” he said.
Mr Cardwell recalled Joanne doing a ‘short talk’ during an inspector’s visit on ventriloquism. “She held up this glove puppet, barely moved her lips but it was very, very clear what she was saying about the history of ventriloquism. This led the Inspector to describe her as ‘brilliant’.”
"She was a real pleasure to teach. She was the ideal pupil and a lovely girl,” he said.