Joseph Harper (Labour politician)

Joseph Harper (17 March 1914 – 24 June 1978) was a Labour Party politician in Great Britain.

He was elected as the Member of Parliament MP for Pontefract at a by-election in 1962. He was MP for the constituency and then the reformed Pontefract and Castleford constituency until he died in office at the age of 64. Playwright James Graham has attributed Harper's death to his decision to "[delay] emergency surgery in his determination to never miss a vote".^[1]

At the by-election held after Harper's death, the seat was held for Labour by Geoffrey Lofthouse.

Harper was from a working-class background working at Ackton Hall Colliery, Featherstone. He lived at 11 Bedford Close, Featherstone with his wife Gwen and youngest daughter Pat. He had a further daughter, Wendy, who also resided on Bedford Close, and two sons Glyn and Graham.

References

^ A hung parliament? It’ll be the 1970s again, and people will die, by James Graham, in the Guardian; published June 13, 2017; retrieved June 13, 2017

Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs

External links

Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Joseph Harper

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by George Oscar Sylvester	Member of Parliament for Pontefract 1962–Feb 1974	Constituency abolished
New constituency	Member of Parliament for Pontefract and Castleford Feb 1974–1978	Succeeded by Geoffrey Lofthouse
Political offices
Preceded by Walter Clegg	Comptroller of the Household 1974–1978	Succeeded by James Hamilton

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[Graun-1] A hung parliament? It’ll be the 1970s again, and people will die, by James Graham, in the Guardian; published June 13, 2017; retrieved June 13, 2017

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