Jon Trickett
A stalwart of Labour's left flank, he served as Corbyn's campaign coordinator and a long-time voice for northern industrial communities.
Born 1950 (age 76)·British Labour politician·Birthday: July 2·Baby Boomers
Biography
Jon Trickett's political identity is rooted in the soil of West Yorkshire, where he has represented the Hemsworth area for decades. A figure from Labour's socialist tradition, his career has been a barometer of the party's internal struggles. He held junior ministerial roles in the Blair and Brown governments but found his definitive role as a loyal lieutenant to Jeremy Corbyn, serving as National Campaign Coordinator during the 2017 snap election. In that campaign, his focus on grassroots mobilization helped deliver a surprising result. Though often a backbencher, Trickett has been a consistent, blunt-speaking advocate for economic redistribution, parliamentary reform, and the interests of post-industrial Britain, remaining a steadfast critic of the party's more centrist turns.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Jon was born in 1950, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jon Was Born
The biggest hits of 1950
#1 Movie
Cinderella
Best Picture
All About Eve
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Jon's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1950Born
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1955Started school
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1963Became a teenager
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1966Could drive
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1968Could vote
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1971Turned 21
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1980Turned 30
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1990Turned 40
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 50
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 60
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 70
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 76 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the Labour Party's National Campaign Coordinator under Jeremy Corbyn for the 2017 general election.
- Elected Member of Parliament for Hemsworth (later Normanton and Hemsworth) in a 1996 by-election, holding the seat since.
- Appointed Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office, focusing on government efficiency and constitutional reform.
- Served as Shadow Lord President of the Council, a key role in the opposition frontbench team.
Did You Know?
He was a local councillor and leader of Leeds City Council before entering national politics.
He studied at the University of York.
He is a keen gardener and has spoken about the mental health benefits of allotment gardening.
His father was a coal miner.
“Power must be taken from the establishment and given back to the working class.”
