Sebastian Kraemer writes: During our Tavistock clinic training in family therapy in the late 1970s, Tessa Jowell and I were co-therapists with a particularly complex case. She was a natural, and had an intuitive grasp of family dynamics. We met again in the Tavistock in the 1990s, when Tessa was a prominent opposition MP. Prof Lynne Murray was presenting her findings of the link between maternal postnatal depression and childhood disorders, particularly affecting the behaviour of boys. You could hear the strategic machinery working as Tessa immediately saw the connection in policy terms. I am sure this insight helped to secure Sure Start as new Labour’s greatest social intervention. She said in 2015 that this was her proudest achievement.
Julie Talbot writes: Your obituary mentions the time Tessa Jowell spent as director of a community care special action project in Birmingham (1986-90). She proved to be a warm and human facilitator, taking time to listen to anyone who wanted to see her. On one occasion, after she had led a meeting for carers, a carer spoke with her at length – and then got the zip of her anorak caught up. Tessa spent a good quarter of an hour helping me to untangle the zip so the woman could go home properly dressed. Such a special person.
