Jo Platt


Joanne Marie Platt is a British Labour and Co-operative Party politician. She was the first female MP for Leigh, holding the seat from 2017 until losing it to the Conservative Party candidate, James Grundy, in 2019.
Platt served as a Shadow Cabinet Office Minister with responsibility for cybersecurity from July 2018. Prior to this she was the Parliamentary Private Secretary to Shadow Education Secretary Angela Rayner and was a Member of the Communities and Local Government Select Committee.

Early political career

Platt represented the Astley and Mosley Common ward of Wigan Council as local councillor from 2012 and entered the Shadow Cabinet as the portfolio holder for Children and Young People's Services in 2014.

Member of Parliament

Platt was elected as the Member of Parliament for Leigh during the 2017 General Election.
On being elected, Platt focused on local issues including calling for greater investment to post-industrial towns including those within her constituency and led the campaign to restore rail connectivity to the constituency. She has called for increased local post-16 education provision and for local devolution to facilitate inward investment into the constituency.
Platt became Parliamentary Private Secretary to Angela Rayner, a position she held until 10 July 2018 when she was promoted as a Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office where she has focused on cybersecurity, government digital projects, digital identity, outsourcing and government implementation. She attacked the Government's cybersecurity record and was also vocal in her criticism of the Government's handling of Huawei's involvement in the UK's 5G infrastructure. In March 2019, Platt advocated having a single Cybersecurity Minister and a government approach that facilitates the growth of the UK cyber sector in post-industrial towns. She also advocated the uptake of the cyber profession amongst those with neurodiverse conditions.
Platt set up and chaired the All Party Parliamentary Group on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The group meets to inform and advise Ministers of the barriers those with ADHD face and the change that is required. In August 2018, Platt asked every CCG across the country what their average waiting time for ADHD diagnosis was. In response she revealed that across the UK some people were waiting an average of two years for a diagnosis. She presented the findings to Prime Minister Theresa May during Prime Minister's Questions and secured a commitment from her to explore whether waiting times could be published to encourage a better diagnosis and treatment experience for those with the condition.