Alice Mahon Politician

Alice Mahon (born 28 September 1937) is a British former Labour Party politician and trade unionist.She was Member of Parliament for Halifax from 1987 until 2005. She is a left-winger who was a member of the Socialist Campaign Group and is a Eurosceptic. A frequent rebel against the Labour government elected in 1997, Mahon stepped down from the House of Commons at the 2005 general election and was succeeded by a Labour councillor, Linda Riordan. She resigned from the Labour Party in April 2009, saying she can no longer tolerate how the party operates. Mahon, who has a history of peace activism, opposed the Iraq War and missile defence plans in her time in office. She sought to protect benefits for parents, women's rights (particularly in regard to abortion), and gay rights. Mahon was also a supporter of reform of the House of Lords.