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Portrait of Harold Best

Harold Best

1937 – 2020

British politician (born 1937)

Politician ElectricianTrade union
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About Harold Best

Lived 1937 – 2020 (aged 82). Harold Best was a British politician, electrician and trade union.

Harold Best (18 December 1937 – 24 August 2020) was a British Labour politician, electrician and trade unionist who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Leeds North West from the 1997 general election until he retired at the 2005 election.

Early life During his childhood, Best lived in Leeds, where he was born on 18 December 1937 to Fred and Marie Best. He was educated at Meanwood County School and Leeds College of Technology and worked as an electrical technician.

Career Best was selected as the candidate for Leeds North West, winning the seat unexpectedly in the 1997 general election and becoming the Labour Party's first holder of the seat since its formation. He began with a majority of 3,844 over his predecessor, Keith Hampson, and increased his majority in the 2001 general election to 5,236. He began as a supporter of his leader, Tony Blair, before vocally opposing the Iraq War. on 24 August 2020, at the age of 82, and was survived by his wife since 1960, Glyn, and their two sons and two daughters.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
Leeds College of Technology
Positions held
Member of the 53rd Parliament of the United Kingdom, Member of the 52nd Parliament of the United Kingdom

People in Harold Best's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Harold Best's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Harold Best?

British politician (born 1937)

When was Harold Best born?

Harold Best was born on 18 December 1937 in Leeds.

When did Harold Best die?

Harold Best died on 24 August 2020 in North Yorkshire.

What was Harold Best's occupation?

Harold Best was a politician, electrician and trade union.

What nationality was Harold Best?

Harold Best was British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Harold Best

· Wikidata: Q5574771

· DBpedia: Harold Best

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Harold Best. https://biography.guide/harold-best/

MLA: "Harold Best." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/harold-best/.

Chicago: "Harold Best." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/harold-best/.

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