predecessor successor death_date birth_place death_place party office birth_date term_start article_title term_end name occupation
edward griffiths david blunkett 27 march 1998 easingwold , north yorkshire , england sowerby , north yorkshire , england labour member of parliament for sheffield brightside 5 july 1921 10 october 1974 joan maynard
 11 june 1987 joan maynard trade union official
joan maynard

vera joan maynard -lrb- 5 july 1921 -- 27 march 1998 -rrb- was an english trade unionist and labour politician .
maynard was born in easingwold , north yorkshire on 5 july 1921 .
dubbed `` stalin 's granny '' due to her left-wing views , maynard was a leading activist in the national union of agricultural workers becoming vice-president of the union and being narrowly beaten to its presidency .
she joined the labour party in 1946 and served as a councillor on north yorkshire county council .
she was elected to labour 's national executive committee 1972 -- 82 and 1983 -- 87 , and was vice-chair of the labour party 1980 -- 81 .
she was appointed a justice of the peace at thirsk in 1950 .
having acted as labour agent in thirsk , north yorkshire , maynard was elected in 1974 as mp for sheffield brightside and held the seat until she retired in 1987 .
throughout her political career maynard advocated policies on the left of the labour party and chaired the left-wing campaign group .
she served on the agriculture select committee 1975 -- 87 .
she played a leading role in securing the passage of the rent -lrb- agriculture -rrb- act 1976 which regulated the tied cottage system that had caused misery to rural workers .
maynard died of cancer in sowerby , north yorkshire on 27 march 1998 , the same day as fellow former mp , joan lestor .
her remains are buried alongside her immediate family at thornton-le-street .
