Joe Simpson

The Labour Research Department (LRD) is saddened to report the death of Joe Simpson who was a member of the LRD Board and deputy general secretary of the prison officers’ union, the POA.

Joe first became a member of the LRD Board (at that time the LRD Executive Committee) in 2015 and served continuously from then on, including, for a period, as a member of the finance and general purposes committee.

He played a role in the, at times, difficult process of changing the LRD from an association to a company limited by guarantee in 2018 and was always someone who could be relied on to offer good advice and clear thinking. He was also very supportive of the LRD and had a long-standing aim of getting more POA branches affiliated to it.

We express our sympathy to his family, friends and colleagues. Joe was a big man in every way, and he has left a big hole.