View source for Val Feld

{{short description|Welsh Labour Party politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2017}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix =
|name         = Valerie Feld
|honorific-suffix = [[Members of the National Assembly for Wales|AM]]
|image        = Val Feld.png
|imagesize    = 150px
|alt          =
|caption      =
|constituency_AM = [[Swansea East (National Assembly for Wales constituency)|Swansea East]]
|assembly     = National Assembly for Wales{{!}}Welsh
|majority     =
|term_start   = 6 May 1999
|term_end     = 17 July 2001
|predecessor  = [[Government of Wales Act 1998|''New Assembly'']]
|successor    = [[Val Lloyd]]
|birth_date   = {{birth date|1947|10|29|df=yes}}
|birth_place  = [[Bangor, Wales|Bangor]]
|death_date   = {{death date and age|2001|07|17|1947|10|29|df=yes}}
|death_place  =
|restingplace =
|birthname    =
|nationality  =
|party        = [[Welsh Labour Party|Labour]]
|otherparty   =
|spouse       = John Feld
|relations    =
|children     =
|residence    =
|alma_mater   =
|occupation   =
|profession   =
|cabinet      =
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}}
'''Valerie Anne Feld''' (''[[née]]'' '''Valerie Breen Turner'''; 29 October 1947 – 17 July 2001), was a [[Wales|Welsh]] [[Wales Labour Party|Labour Party]] politician.
==Background==
Born in [[Bangor, Wales|Bangor]], Caernarvonshire, she was educated at the Abbey School in [[Malvern, Worcestershire|Malvern]] and in 1969 married John Feld, with whom she had two children.  She worked as a journalist in London and later as a social worker and housing advisor in Lancashire. In 1981, following the break-up of her marriage, she took a job in her native Wales  – founding and becoming the first Director of [[Shelter Cymru]].  In her spare time she studied for an MA at [[Cardiff University]] in Women's Studies,<ref name="purpleplaques-feld" /> and in 1989 was appointed head of the [[Equal Opportunities Commission (United Kingdom)|Equal Opportunities Commission]] for Wales.  She held the post for ten years, until her election as Assembly Member for Swansea East.<ref name=bbcprofile>{{cite news | title=UK: Wales: AMs: Val Feld | work=BBC | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/uk/wales/13086.stm |date=1 September 1999| access-date=2017-11-12}}</ref>
==Political career==
[[File:Val Feld plaque.jpg|left|thumb|227x227px|Val Feld plaque at The Senedd]]
Feld had been a Local Labour councillor in Chorley, Lancashire. She was a leader in the campaign for Welsh devolution<ref name=purpleplaques-feld>{{cite web |title=Val Feld 1947 - 2001 |url=https://purpleplaques.wales/purple-plaque-stories/ |website=Purple plaques |access-date=2 July 2021}}</ref> and was Treasurer of the [[Yes for Wales]] campaign leading up to the 1997 referendum. Her oversight ensured that the enabling legislation for devolution, [[Government of Wales Act 1998]], included clauses requiring equal opportunities.<ref name=purpleplaques-feld /> She was subsequently elected as a [[Member of the National Assembly for Wales]] for [[Swansea East (National Assembly for Wales constituency)|Swansea East]], and served in that position from 1999 to July 2001.<ref name=bbcprofile />
Feld died on 17 July 2001 after suffering from cancer,<ref name=guardianobit>{{cite news |author=Paul Williams| title=Val Feld | work=The Guardian | url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2001/aug/10/guardianobituaries.wales| access-date=2017-11-12 | date=10 August 2001}}</ref> becoming the first member of the [[National Assembly for Wales]] to die in office and thus cause a by-election.<ref name=bbcdies>{{cite news | title=Assembly Member Val Feld dies | work=BBC | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/1445234.stm| access-date=2001-07-18 | date=18 July 2001}}</ref> She was a highly regarded politician with a history of social activism and commitment to equality and social justice, and was Chair of the Assembly's Economic Development Committee until May 2001.<ref name=indyobit>{{cite news |author=Tony Heath| title=Val Feld | work=The Independent | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/val-feld-9252873.html| access-date=2017-11-12  | date=19 July 2001}}</ref> First Minister [[Rhodri Morgan]] said of her, "I believe I speak for the whole of Wales when I say that the death of Val Feld is a grievous blow for us all".<ref name=bbcdies />
==Legacy==
In 2017 the [[Purple Plaques]] campaign was started to commemorate remarkable women in Wales, aiming to install purple plaques on buildings in Wales to recognise significant women. The first purple plaque was placed on the Senedd building to commemorate her.<ref>{{cite web |title=Purple Plaques Wales |url=https://chwaraeteg.com/projects/purple-plaques/ |website=Chwarae Teg |access-date=2 July 2021}}</ref> Feld is included among the 100+ Welsh women selected by the Women's Equality Network Wales to have made a significant contribution to national life.<ref name="100WelshWomen">{{cite web |title=Val Feld |url=https://www.100welshwomen.wales/100-women/val_feld/ |website=100WelshWomen |publisher=WEN Womens Equality Network Wales |access-date=3 July 2021}}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
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{{succession box
| title  = [[Members of the National Assembly for Wales|Assembly Member]] for [[Swansea East (National Assembly for Wales constituency)|Swansea East]]
| years  = [[1999 National Assembly for Wales election|1999]]–[[Swansea East (National Assembly for Wales constituency)|2001]]
| before = (new post)
| after  = [[Val Lloyd]]
}}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Feld, Val}}
[[Category:1947 births]]
[[Category:2001 deaths]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in Wales]]
[[Category:Welsh Labour members of the Senedd]]
[[Category:Wales AMs 1999–2003]]
[[Category:Councillors in Lancashire]]
[[Category:People from Bangor, Gwynedd]]
[[Category:20th-century British women politicians]]
[[Category:Female members of the Senedd]]
[[Category:Welsh women activists]]
[[Category:Women councillors in England]]