My mother, Julie Davies, who has died aged 67 of throat cancer complicated by Covid-19, was a teacher, trade unionist and Labour politician.
In 1997 she was elected as branch secretary of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) in Haringey, a year later joining the union’s national executive committee, and the General Teaching Council in 2010. She was released from her responsibilities as an English teacher at Northumberland Park community school in north London in 2000 so that she could work full time on behalf of NUT members – and campaigned fiercely against the government’s academisation agenda.
Even in the most difficult times, she always fought for what she believed in and was an extremely effective caseworker. She later brought the same persistence to elected office as a Labour councillor in Haringey – representing St Ann’s ward from 2018 and Hermitage and Gardens ward from 2022 – and to her role at Haringey council as cabinet member for employment, skills and corporate services from May 2021, and for communities and civic life from May 2022. She relished these roles and combined hard-headed pragmatism with kindness.
Julie was born in Romford, east London, to Eileen (nee Zimmer) and Frank Harris, a firefighter, and was educated at Great Baddow high school in Chelmsford, Essex. She later studied English and linguistics at University College London (UCL), where she met her first husband and interrupted her studies to travel with him to Iran. She taught English there, before returning to the UK during Iran’s 1979 revolution. They divorced soon afterwards.
After travelling for a few months in the US with friends, she spotted an opportunity to teach English as a second language in Singapore. There, she met David Davies, and returned to London with him in 1982. After finishing her degree she took a PGCE at UCL’s Institute of Education, which enabled her to teach in primary and secondary schools including South Harringay school and Central Foundation girls’ school in Tower Hamlets. She and David married in 1989 and she started work as a teacher at Northumberland Park in 1992.
Julie loved inviting people to her home to enjoy good food, drink and world music.
David died in 2015. Julie is survived by her children, Ted and me, her siblings, Jennie and Michael, and her nieces and nephews.
