Jane McAlevey 1964-2024
Ian Allinson pays tribute to and assesses the work of Jane McAlevey, the US-based organiser and author who popularised many organising concepts and techniques, and who inspired and trained thousands of activists
Tyrone O’Sullivan: the gentle giant of the last deep coal mine in South Wales
On the afternoon of 27 May Tyrone O’Sullivan of Tower Colliery died peacefully at home, in his garden, aged 77. Here Brian Parkin pays tribute to a friend and comrade, who through a combination of fire and gentle persuasion, led a community of mining families into a fight to save the last deep coal mine in South Wales.
John Molyneux: Marxist in theory and practice
Two tributes to one of the IS tradition’s most important writers.
‘He never gave up the fight’ – remembering Alain Krivine
Alain Krivine (1941-2022) was a life long revolutionary socialist known for his activism since the May 1968 student revolt and general strike in France. Manus McGrogan, who interviewed him, recounts Krivine’s life and activism.
Obituary: Eileen Cook, 1950-2021
Eileen Cook, who died on 6 October 2021, was a life-long trade unionist, feminist campaigner, and revolutionary socialist. She is much missed by many, including her comrades in Edinburgh rs21, who remember her in this obituary.
Obituary: Danny Phillips
Remembering Danny Phillips, a lifelong socialist and fighter for the working class.
Obituary: Mike Cooley, architect and bee
Brian Parkin pays tribue to Mike Cooley, a modest and inspiring trade union leader with a lifelong vision of a liberated technology, redirected to serving human need.
Obituary: Neil Davidson, 1957–2020
Neil Davidson, who died on 3 May 2020, was a socialist militant and the foremost Scottish intellectual of his generation. Obituary by a comrade.
Neil Davidson (1957-2020)
We are deeply saddened to announce the death of our comrade and friend, Neil Davidson. We send our condolences to his family, in particular to his partner Cathy Watkins. A full obituary will follow.
Obituary: Pete Gillard, 1949–2020
Pete Gillard, who died on 21 April 2020, was a life-long revolutionary socialist, campaigner and trade union activist. Obituary by Charlie Hore.
Obituary: Sonja Grossner, 1942-2020
Sheila Mosley and members of Leicester rs21 remember Sonja Grossner (1942-2020).
Obituary: Jean Dorothy Parkin, 1921-2018
Brian Parkin looks back at the life of his mother, Jean Dorothy Parkin, who passed away on 14th November.
A Farewell to Omelas: remembering Ursula Le Guin
Writer Ursula Le Guin, who died on 22 January aged 88, overturned notions of what Science Fiction should be about.
Obituary: Martin McGuinness
Pat Stack looks at the struggles which shaped Martin McGuinness and calls out the double-standards of the British Establishment’s response to his death. The death of Martin McGuinness has allowed two fairly standard, and on the face of it contrasting, narratives to emerge. The official one – as espoused with greater or lesser enthusiasm by the likes […]
Obituary: Alan Rae (1950-2016)
Neil Davidson remembers Alan Rae (5 July 1950-12 November 2016) in this obituary in the form of a memoir recalling Alan’s entire life – and not only his time as a political activist, for Alan had an extremely broad ‘hinterland’.
Fidel Castro (1926-2016)
Following Fidel Castro’s death, Mike Gonzalez assesses his legacy He was, by any standards, a giant of a man. In his frail late years his presence still resonated across Latin America, even among the generations that did not experience the exhilarating shock of the Cuban revolution of 1959. But that event is the source of […]
Dario Fo: playwright, performer and revolutionary
Colin Revolting and friends pay tribute to Dario Fo who died this week at the age of 90. Dario Fo was a great playwright of the years of unrest and rebellion in the 1960s and ’70s. His plays such as Accidental Death of an Anarchist and Can’t Pay? Won’t Pay! were hilariously cutting critiques of life under […]
Obituary: Bartley Willcock
Ian Allinson and Sam O’Brien describe the remarkable life of Brian Bartley Willcock who died last week at the age of 82. Note: this has been updated with some details about funeral arrangements at the bottom. From an early age Bartley got very involved in his local church, St Clement’s Higher Openshaw, across the road […]
Davey Hopper obituary
Brian Parkin remembers Davey Hopper, president of the Durham Miners, who died suddenly of a heart attack on 16 July aged 73 at his home in East Boldon, the Durham pit village of his birth. Davey was a militant lodge delegate at Monkwearmouth colliery during the 1984-85 miners strike and rose to be an area […]
Sherrl Yanowitz: 1942 – 2016
Jonny Jones looks back on the life of a tireless fighter against injustice and for a better world. Sherrl’s funeral will take place tomorrow, 1 July, at 2pm, Mortlake Crematorium, Richmond TW9 4EN Sherrl Yanowitz, who has died aged 74, was a lifelong revolutionary socialist and anti-racist fighter. Sherrl was born Shirley Grosse – she hated the name […]
Tributes to Sherrl Yanowitz (1942-2016)
We are deeply saddened by the loss of our friend and comrade Sherrl Yanowitz, who passed away this week after a short battle with cancer. Sherrl was, and will continue to be, an inspiration for all of us fighting for a better world. She was an activist, trade unionist and a fighter against all forms […]
Denis Healey: the Labour chancellor who opened the door to neoliberalism
Both Labour and Tory leaders have praised Healey, who died yesterday. Brian Parkin remembers instead Healey’s role in the 1970s Labour government, which began with miners kicking out the Tories, but ended with the election of Thatcher. The February 1974 general election which made Healey Chancellor took place in what now seems like another […]
South Korean Marxist Economics after Soohaeng Kim
Seongjin Jeong, who is Professor of Economics at Gyeongsang National University, pays tribute to Soohaeng Kim, the “Godfather of Marxist economics” in South Korea. Professor Soohaeng Kim, South Korea’s most well-known Marxist economist, died of a heart attack on 1 August at the age of 72. He is survived by his wife and two sons. […]
Bel Druce 1940-2015
We republish Ian Birchall’s obituary for his very close friend, and rs21 member Bel Druce, who died at the end of August. It was originally published on Ian’s personal website Grim and Dim. My dear friend Bel Druce died in August 2015. I had known her only in the last five years of her life; […]
Bel Druce 1940-2015
Our dear friend and comrade, Bel, passed away on 12 August 2015 after a short illness. I met Bel quite by accident when I spotted her dear friend Ian Birchall in the foyer of a theatre in Oxford in 2012. I was struck immediately by her witty banter and her kindness. I got to know Bel […]
Mike Marqusee (1953-2015)
Talha Ahsan, poet and former political prisoner, pays tribute to Mike Marqusee, who died on January 13, 2015. Today at around 4.30pm I received a phone call that left me feeling numb all day. Someone I have never met had passed away. Mike Marqusee lived a life we can only envy. He was a journalist, […]