Joanne Cash

Joanne Catherine Cash, Baroness Cash of Banbridge (born 28 December 1969) is a media barrister and life peer. She was the unsuccessful Conservative Party candidate for Westminster North in the 2010 general election.

Early life and education Cash was born in Northern Ireland. Her mother was a newsagent, while her father held various jobs, sometimes up to three at once. She has a brother who is an NHS doctor, and a sister who is a teacher. Cash was educated at Tandragee Primary and Banbridge Academy (both state schools).

Legal career Cash qualified as a barrister after graduating. She 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.

In 2005, Cash successfully represented an innocent man dubbed "the lotto rapist" in error by the Sunday Mirror winning her client considerable damages. Cash has spoken out strongly for strengthening freedom of the press, Cash hosted a debate for Policy Exchange on libel reform, believing that libel tourism ought to be curbed.

Cash has represented a number of clients, including Elle Macpherson and Trudie Styler.

She was called a "freedom fighter" in an Observer article in 2009. For her legal work, the British edition of Vogue includes Cash as one of the 50 women of the age, alongside the likes of Michelle Obama and the Queen. She is a key Tory activist for libel reform and free speech. She was described as a Cameron Cutie.

In February 2006, she applied to become a Conservative candidate Cash was described by The Times in February 2009 as "one to watch". In the event, Bagshawe, Patel and Sandys were elected, while Rees-Mogg and Cash were not.

In February 2010, Cash disagreed with members of her constituency association over strategies to win the seat, with the result that David Cameron, the leader of the party and opposition leader but not yet prime minister, intervened to sack Amanda Sayers, chair of the Westminster North Conservative Association. Cash then commented on her Twitter page that her opponents were "dinosaurs". Shortly afterwards Cash tendered her resignation as candidate, but the Conservatives did not accept it, and she continued to campaign for Westminster North until the election in May.

Personal life In December 2007, Cash married Octavius Black, the founder and managing director of The Mind Gym. Friends who attended their exchange of vows included Conservative ministers Ed Vaizey and Michael Gove; Daily Mail owner Jonathan Harmsworth, 4th Viscount Rothermere, and his wife; then-Marks & Spencer chairman Stuart Rose; and TV presenter Kirstie Allsopp. Black was educated at Eton College at the same time as David Cameron; the two men have stayed close, and they and their wives socialise together. They have a daughter.

In December 2024, Cash was nominated to be a Conservative life peer as part of the 2024 Political Peerages. She was created as Baroness Cash, of Banbridge in the County of Down on 28 January 2025.