1. Joanne Marie Platt was born on 15 June 1973 and is a British Labour and Co-operative politician who has served as Member of Parliament for Leigh and Atherton since 2024.
17 Facts About Jo Platt
1. 2.
Jo Platt was previously MP for Leigh from 2017 to 2019.
3.
Jo Platt was elected to Astley Mosley Common ward on Wigan Council at the 2012 local elections and re-elected in 2016.
4.
Jo Platt was appointed as the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People in June 2014, and served as the Secretary of the Leigh Constituency Labour Party during her tenure on the council.
5.
Jo Platt resigned her council seat shortly after her election to Parliament in September 2017.
6.
Jo Platt was elected as the first female MP for Leigh at the 2017 general election, succeeding Andy Burnham, who stood down following his election as Greater Manchester Mayor.
7.
Jo Platt was a brief member of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee in 2017, but sat on the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee from 2017 to 2018.
8.
Jo Platt was appointed as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to Angela Rayner, Shadow Education Secretary, in July 2017.
9.
Jo Platt held the position until July 2018, when she was promoted to Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office, focusing on cybersecurity, government digital projects, digital identity, outsourcing and government implementation.
10.
Jo Platt criticised the Government's cybersecurity record in her role, and their handling of Huawei's involvement in the UK's 5G infrastructure.
11.
In March 2019, Jo Platt advocated having a single Cybersecurity Minister and a government approach that facilitates the growth of the UK cyber sector in post-industrial towns.
12.
Jo Platt advocated the uptake of the cyber profession amongst those with neurodivergent conditions.
13.
Jo Platt set up and chaired the All Party Parliamentary Group on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, informing and advising Ministers of the barriers those with ADHD face and the change that is required.
14.
Jo Platt lost her seat at the 2019 general election to the Conservative Party candidate, James Grundy.
15.
In 2022, Jo Platt was selected as the prospective parliamentary candidate for Leigh at the 2024 general election, and was re-elected.
16.
Jo Platt was tasked with the management of renovating the building to house heritage, small business, enterprise, arts and culture.
17.
Jo Platt continues to campaign on local and national issues such as Long COVID, after contracting the virus in March 2020.