Parliamentary Career
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.
At the 1987 general election she lost Thurrock to the Conservative candidate Timothy Janman.
Read more about this topic: Oonagh Mc Donald
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