 Braddock inherited much of her campaigning spirit from her mother , Mary Bamber , an early socialist and trade union activist . After some years in the Independent Labour Party ( ILP ) , Braddock joined the Communist Party of Great Britain ( CPGB ) on its foundation in 1920 , but quickly became disillusioned with the party 's dictatorial tendencies . She left the CPGB in 1924 and later joined the Labour Party . Before the Second World War , alongside her husband Jack Braddock , she established a reputation as a crusading left @-@ wing councillor , frequently at odds with her party while pursuing an agenda of social reform . During the war she worked in Liverpool 's ambulance service , before winning the Exchange division for Labour in the 1945 general election . 
