Jo Richardson


Josephine Richardson was a British Labour Party politician. At the time of her death she was Member of Parliament for Barking, a post she had held since 1974.

Early life

She was born in Newcastle upon Tyne. She attended Southend High School for Girls. Her father, a sales representative, had stood as a Liberal Party candidate in Darlington during the 1930s, but died while she was still young. Her mother was a member of the Congregational Church.
Despite her intellect, Richardson was unable to afford a university education, which she regretted throughout her life.

Parliamentary career

Joining the Labour Party in 1945, Richardson began her political career as Ian Mikardo's secretary. She co-ordinated the 'Keep Left Group' and went on to become the secretary of the Tribune Group before co-ordinating the Victory for Socialism Campaign. In 1951 Richardson was elected to Hornsey Borough Council and became Mikardo's full-time secretary and working partner in his business which involved trade with eastern Europe. She contested the parliamentary seats of Monmouth in 1951 and 1955, Hornchurch in 1959, and Harrow East in 1964.
She was seen as a peace campaigner on the hard left of the Labour Party. She was a member of the Socialist Campaign Group but resigned in 1988 in protest at Tony Benn's decision to challenge Neil Kinnock for the leadership. She also served as a member of the Shadow Cabinet. She was a central figure of the feminist left and helped to expand women's rights in Britain and was the head of a group of women MPs that supported the anti-pornography position. She was also a pro-choice campaigner.
Richardson also served as an executive member of the National Council for Civil Liberties, during a time in which the Paedophile Information Exchange, a pro-paedophile activist group, was affiliated with NCCL. Richardson wrote to PIE journal Childhood Rights, saying that she supported their campaign against corporal punishment.
She co-authored the pamphlets "Keep Left" and "Keeping Left" with Dick Crossman, Michael Foot and Ian Mikardo.
In 1985 KGB defector Oleg Gordievsky named Richardson and two other left-wing Labour MPs as confidential contacts of his embassy.

Recognition

, in the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, was named in her honour.