Oonagh McDonald

Oonagh McDonald CBE
Member of Parliament for Thurrock
In office 15 July 1976 – 11 June 1987
Preceded by	Hugh Delargy
Succeeded by	Tim Janman
Personal details
Born	Oonagh McDonald
Nationality	United Kingdom
Political party	Labour
Alma mater	University of Bristol
Website	www.oonaghmcdonald.com

Oonagh Anne McDonald CBE (born February 1938) is a British academic and businesswoman, and a former Labour Party politician.

McDonald was born in , Co Durham, the daughter of Dr HD McDonald, an Irish protestant minister. The family moved to London and she was educated at the Roan School for Girls in Greenwich, and East Barnet Grammar School and King's College London, where she gained a Master's degree in Theology in 1962 and a Ph.D in 1974. She worked variously as a teacher, lecturer, researcher and management consultant. She taught philosophy at the University of Bristol from 1965-76. She also served as a member of the Financial Services Commission in Gibraltar and was a senior consultant on international regulatory and public policy issues.

McDonald unsuccessfully contested the seat of South Gloucestershire as the Labour Party candidate at both the February 1974 and October 1974 general elections. She was elected Member of Parliament for Thurrock in the 1976 by-election following the death of Hugh Delargy.

She became Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the Rt Hon Joel Barnett (now Lord Barnett) in 1977. She was then Opposition Spokesman on Defence from 1981–1983, and then Opposition Spokesman on Treasury and Economic Affairs from 1983-1987.

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