Norman Atkinson

Norman Atkinson was born in Manchester on 25th March, 1923. After attending college he became a designer in a engineering department. A member of the Labour Party he served on Manchester City Council (1945-49).

Atkinson was elected to represent Tottenham in the 1964 General Election. In 1965 Atkinson joined Michael Foot, Konni Zilliacus, William Warbey, Russell Kerr, John Mendelson, Anne Kerr, Stan Newens, and Sydney Silverman in protesting against American intervention in Vietnam. However, Atkinson and his friends were unable to persuade the Labour prime minister, Harold Wilson, to condemn US policy on Vietnam. Atkinson, a member of the Socialist Campaign Group, left the House of Commons in 1987.

Atkinson published a biography, Joseph Whitworth (1997). His first play, Old Merrypebbles, appeared in 2007. He argues: "My satirical play Old Merrypebbles, peels away in the best Shavian fashion, the last remnants of genteel propriety.... I hope the somewhat mischievous fun laden script also helps explain how parliament is sometimes abused."