Martha Otito Osamor, Baroness Osamor (; born 24 September 1940) is a British-Nigerian Labour Party politician,

life peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. Life peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister. With the exception of the D ...

, community activist and civil rights campaigner. She is the mother of

Kate Osamor Ofunne Kate Osamor (; born 15 August 1968) is a British Labour and Co-operative politician who has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Edmonton and Winchmore Hill, previously Edmonton, since 2015. She was Shadow Secretary of State for Internatio ...

, the MP for Edmonton and Winchmore Hill since 2015.

Early life and career

Born Martha Otito Osantor in

Delta State Delta is a States of Nigeria, state in the South South (Nigeria), South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Named after the Niger Delta—a large part of which is in the state—the state was formed from the former Bendel State, on 27 August 1 ...

, Nigeria, Osamor moved to the UK in 1963 to join her husband who was then studying in London. Osamor and her husband settled in

Tottenham Tottenham (, , , ) is a district in north London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is located in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London. Tottenham is centred north-northeast of Charing Cross, ...

, where they had four children. Her husband died unexpectedly in 1975.

Politics

Osamor was a co-founder of the United Black Women's Action Group (UBWAG). From 1977 to 1997, Osamor worked at the Tottenham Law Centre (now called the Haringey Law Centre) and during this time became part of the Broadwater Farm Youth Association Mothers' Project on the nearby

Broadwater Farm Broadwater Farm, often referred to simply as "The Farm", is an area in Tottenham, North London, straddling the River Moselle (London), River Moselle. The eastern half of the area is dominated by the Broadwater Farm Housing estate, Estate ("BWFE") ...

housing estate. From 1986 to 1990, she served as a Labour councillor representing the

Bruce Grove Bruce Grove is a ward in Tottenham, enclosed by Lordship Recreation Ground, Lordship Lane, Philip Lane, and the High Road. The population of the ward at the 2011 Census was 14,483. Nearby Bruce Castle was named after Robert the Bruce. When ...

Ward in the

London Borough of Haringey The London Borough of Haringey ( , same as Harringay) is a London boroughs, London borough in north London, classified by some definitions as part of Inner London, and by others as part of Outer London. It was created in 1965 by the amalgamation ...

, eventually becoming deputy leader of

Haringey London Borough Council Haringey London Borough Council, also known as Haringey Council, is the local authority for the London Borough of Haringey in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London. The council has been under Labour majorit ...

. Following the

Broadwater Farm riot The Broadwater Farm riot occurred on the Broadwater council estate in Tottenham, North London, on 6 October 1985. The events of the day were dominated by two deaths. The first was that of Cynthia Jarrett, an Afro-Caribbean woman who died the p ...

, Osamor and Dolly Kiffin organised a civil rights demonstration on 3 October 1987, and produced a ''Manifesto of the movement for civil rights and justice''. She became a founding member of the Broadwater Farm Defence Campaign. A left-winger and Labour Party Black Sections national vice-chair, Osamor was nominated by most of the branches within the

Vauxhall Vauxhall ( , ) is an area of South London, within the London Borough of Lambeth. Named after a medieval manor called Fox Hall, it became well known for the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. From the Victorian period until the mid-20th century, Va ...

Constituency Labour Party A constituency Labour Party (CLP) is an organisation of members of the British Labour Party who live in a particular parliamentary constituency. In England and Wales, CLP boundaries coincide with those for UK parliamentary constituencies. In Sc ...

as the party's candidate for the by-election in 1989. The seat had been held by Labour since its creation in 1950. However, her candidacy was blocked by the party's National Executive Committee on the advice of the then leader,

Neil Kinnock Neil Gordon Kinnock, Baron Kinnock (born 28 March 1942) is a Welsh politician who was Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom), Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party from 1983 Labour Party le ...

. Osamor's future fellow life peer

Kate Hoey Catharine Letitia Hoey, Baroness Hoey (born 21 June 1946), better known as Kate Hoey, is a Northern Irish politician and life peer who served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Home Affairs from 1998 to 1999 and Minister for Sport from 1999 ...

was instead selected by the national party as the constituency's Labour candidate; Hoey held the seat for Labour. Osamor was nominated for a life peerage by

Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Bernard Corbyn (; born 26 May 1949) is a British politician who has been Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Islington North (UK Parliament constituency), Islington North since 1983. Now an Independent ...

in May 2018, and on 26 November 2018, the Queen conferred upon her the title of Baroness Osamor, of

in the

and of

Asaba Asaba (''Igbo:'' ''Ahaba'') is the capital of Delta State, Nigeria. A rapidly growing urban area, it is located on the western bank of the Niger River and is the seat of the Oshimili South Local Government Area. Asaba had a population of 149,6 ...

in the Republic of Nigeria.

Personal life

Baroness Osamor is the mother of Member of Parliament

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Osamor, Martha 1940 births Living people Black British women politicians Nigerian emigrants to the United Kingdom Nigerian recipients of British titles Labour Party (UK) life peers Life peeresses created by Elizabeth II Life peers created by Elizabeth II Labour Party (UK) councillors Councillors in the London Borough of Haringey Politicians from the London Borough of Haringey Women councillors in England People from Tottenham