Reg Freeson

His soft-left opinions made him vulnerable to the hard left in the early 1980s, and he was deselected in 1985, leaving Parliament at the 1987 general election to be succeeded by hard-leftwinger and future London mayor Ken Livingstone.Freeson was born in St Pancras and raised in the Jewish orphanage in West Norwood from the age of 5.He remained as Housing Spokesman in opposition, and his mastery of the subject made him a fearsome opponent to the incumbent Conservative ministers.With Eric Heffer, he led a Commons protest over the guillotine of the controversial bill which was to become the Industrial Relations Act 1971.He remained on the Labour frontbench in opposition, as spokesman on Health and Social Security, but was demoted by Michael Foot in 1981.He was co-chair of the socialist Zionist Poale Zion (Great Britain), but was critical of Israeli policy (e.g. he opposed the 1982 invasion of Lebanon).
Member of ParliamentBrent EastWillesden EastTrevor SkeetKen LivingstoneSt PancrasLondonEnglandSalisburyWiltshireLabourfront benchMinistry of PowerMinister of Statesoft-lefthard left1987 general electionorphanageWest NorwoodpogromsPolandRussiaRAF Volunteer ReserveRifle BrigadeRoyal EngineersMiddle EastZionistFleet StreetJohn BullEverybody's WeeklyNews ReviewThe Daily MirrorNews Chroniclepress officerMinistry of WorksBritish Railways BoardLabour PartyWillesdenLondon Borough of Brentalderman1964 general electionConservativeHarold WilsonParliamentary Private SecretaryTom FraserMinister of TransportParliamentary Under-Secretary of StateMinister of Housing and Local Government1970 general electionEric HefferguillotineIndustrial Relations Act 1971Minister for Housing and ConstructionDepartment of the EnvironmentFebruary 1974 general electionnew townsplanninglocal governmentJames CallaghanPrime Ministerprivy counsellor1979 general electionMichael FootSelect committeeFabian SocietyIrish nationalistracismKorean WarVietnam WarAldermaston MarchTribuneanti-fascistSearchlightsocialist ZionistPoale Zion (Great Britain)British Nationality Act 1981Northern Irelandleft-winger1983 general election2002 electionQueens Park2006 local electionsThe GuardianThe IndependentThe Daily TelegraphThe TimesParliament of the United KingdomFebruary 1974