Willesden's memory lane

07 May 2009

Memories: David Winnick remembers Willesden

by Roxanne Blakelock

A politician started his career in the borough exactly 50 years ago on Thursday May 9 1959.

David Winnick, now 75, lives in Dollis Hill and was voted into what was then the Borough of Willesden as a councillor when he was just 25.

He is now the MP for Walsall North in the West Midlands, and was born on June 26, 1933 in Brighton but moved to Village Way, Neasden in 1953 after his national service.

He said: "I have a loathing of all forms of racism. In 1960 in Willesden we banned South African goods which was the first time a local authority had done that.

"Whenever there is an injustice, I hope that my voice will not be silenced. I feel I have fought the good fight from the start of my political life until the end.

"I went into politics for ordinary working people and to do what we can for people overseas."

He worked in an engineering factory in Neasden Lane as a progress chaser, someone who makes sure all the necessary materials are gathered for final assembly in production.

He then became the branch secretary of the Clerical and Administrative Workers Union while working as the advertising manager on the left-wing journal, The Tribune.

Meanwhile he became a councillor for Willesden Borough Council in 1959 which merged and became the borough of Brent six years later.

Winnick was first elected as an MP in 1966 for Corydon South (now the area roughly covered by Croydon Central constituency).

He lost his seat in 1970 and then studied for a diploma in social administration at the London School of Economics and stood again in Croydon in October 1974 but lost.

He worked for what was then The Immigrants Advisory Service before returning to parliament to be voted in to Walsall north in 1979 where he has remained ever since.

For eight years he was the co-chair of the British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body which was set up in 1990.

He is on the left of the Labour Party and has a strong commitment to human rights.

On November 9 2005, Winnick's amendment to a government bill on detention of terrorist suspects without trial - proposing that the maximum period of detention should be 28 days, rather than 90 - was passed and was Tony Blair's first Commons defeat on a whipped vote, after nearly nine years as Prime Minister.

He said: "Hopefully this is not the end. I would like to continue for at least one more term. I am very grateful to the electorate."

Winnick is now divorced and has one son.

roxanne.blakelock@archant.co.uk