Joan Humble

Jovanka Humble known as Joan Humble (born March 3, 1951, Skipton, Yorkshire as Jovanka Piplikova) is a politician in the United Kingdom. She is Labour member of Parliament for Blackpool North and Fleetwood, and first won the seat in 1997.

The daughter of a Slavic-born bus driver, Joan Humble was educated at the Greenstead Grammar School in Keighley before attending Lancaster University where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. She worked as a civil servant in the Department of Health and Social Security from 1972, before moving to the Inland Revenue in 1973. She left the civil service in 1977 to raise her two daughters. She served as a school governor for fifteen years from 1982. In 1985 she was elected as a councillor to Lancashire County Council where she served until her election to Parliament.

She was elected at the 1997 General Election for the new Lancashire seat of Blackpool North and Fleetwood. She ousted the sitting Conservative MP who had previously sat for Blackpool North by 8,946. Since 1998 she has served on select committees for social security, and since 2001 its replacement Work and Pensions.