Norman Atkinson

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Norman Atkinson (25 March 1923 – 8 July 2013) was a British Labour politician. He was the Member of Parliament for Tottenham, London, from 1964 to 1987. Born in Manchester, he trained as a design engineer and worked at Manchester University. He served on Manchester City Council from 1945 to 1949. He ran for Parliament in 1955 (Manchester Wythenshawe) and 1959 (Altrincham and Sale) before winning Tottenham in 1964.

Atkinson was on Labour’s National Executive Committee for five years and served as the party’s national treasurer from 1976 to 1981. As treasurer, he clashed with Chancellor Denis Healey at the 1976 Labour Party Conference. He helped found the Socialist Campaign Group.

In 1983 boundary changes added part of Wood Green to Tottenham, and his local party deselected him. He did not stand in the 1987 election, and Bernie Grant won the seat.

After leaving Parliament, Atkinson wrote a book about Sir Joseph Whitworth, The World’s Best Mechanician (1996), and a play called Old Merrypebbles.