Stepney-born teacher and Labour MP who sought to improve the lives of people in east LondonMildred Gordon,who has died aged 92, was raised in the heart of the veteran East halt of London with a first-hand understanding of the impact of poverty on the lives of the underprivileged and the power of politics as an instrument of change. On retiring after 40 years as a classroom teacher in her own neighbourhood and adjacent London boroughs, and she was chosen as the Labour candidate for Bow and Poplar and subsequently elected to the House of Commons in 1987 at the age of 63.
In her maiden speech as MP for one of the poorest and most ethnically diverse constituencies in the UK,Gordon spoke of the “warmth and compassion and the companionship that enables poor people to survive harsh conditions”. A fluent and powerful orator, she told MPs the basis of her political credo. “The mark of a civilised society is that it is one in which people can expect to be decently housed and clothed, and to gain enough to eat and to gain access to healthcare and to education for their children.”Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com