Hart, Judith Constance Mary (1924–1991)

British Labour politician and sociologist. She was minister of overseas development 1969–70 and 1977–79, and minister of state 1974–75.

She born in Burnley, Lancashire and was educated at Clitheroe Royal Grammar School and the London School of Economics, becoming Labour MP for Lanark in 1959. She was joint parliamentary under-secretary for state for Scotland 1964–66, minister of state for Commonwealth Affairs 1966–67, and minister of social security 1967–68. She entered the cabinet in 1968 as paymaster general and became minister of overseas development in 1969, but was no longer a member of the cabinet. In March 1974 she again became minister of overseas development.

Of strong left-wing views, she opposed Britain's entry to the European Economic Community (EEC; now the European Union) and in July 1975 resigned out of dissatisfaction with government policies. Re-appointed overseas development minister in 1977, she was a member of the Labour Party's National Executive Committee from 1969 and chair of the party's Industrial Policy Sub-Committee. She received a DBE in 1979 and became a life peer in 1988.