Alan Wassell and TERRY Harrison tragically died on 7th September 2000. He was 49.
He was a life long trade unionist and active member of the labour movement, and Terry's funeral at the beautiful village church at Felkirk was packed with his family, friends and members of the National Union of Mineworkers.
Wakefield Council leader Peter Box, NUM President Arthur Scargill, and local MPs John Trickett and Mick Clapham were also present.
The branch banner of the Kellingley NUM graced the front of the church with its sharp graphic message that the working class could only obtain benefits of its labour by destroying capitalism. This was a message that Terry had fought for throughout his too brief life.
He was the President of the NUM at Kellingly pit, the "Big K". He was also a former Chair of the Wakefield District Labour Party and of Hemsworth Labour Party. He should have been the MP for Hemsworth, but the national Labour Party leadership cheated the people of the area of the opportunity to vote for Terry by their undemocratic by-election selection procedures. place.
Yet despite this his great loyalty to the movement and hatred of the Tories was shown in the way he turned out to work in the by-election. The same loyalty was shown in the enormous effort and sacrifice that he made during the miners' During this period he AS A NEW CENTURY BEGINS, the battles I of the last century rmain to be won. millions I of women and men are taking part in mobili.
sations against the evils of capitalism and the 1 bureaucratic dictatorships. This reflects the I fact that humanity face widening dangers. Ecological, military, social and economic devL astation faces millions of people.
Many more people recognise the barbaric nature of capitalism. In a situation where the inability of the social democratic an communist parties to provide socialist solutions is I becoming clearer, the task of creating new leaderships remains ahead.
Socialist Outlook is written and sold by socialists committed to this struggle. We are the British supporters of the world-wide marxist organisation, the Fourth / International. We stand for the revolutionary transformation of society and a pluralist, socialist democracy world wide. worked with a small number of supporters of Labour Briefing and the Workers Socialist League to build support for the strike. Particularly he helped form the link between Hull and Castleford during the Strike.
Terry spoke at the first Neal. Miners Support Group meeting called by Hull Trades Council. The plight of the sacked and victimised miners was always high on ing force of the new his personal agenda.
He was tireless and an Centre. imaginative picketer, and sometimes this was personally dangerous. Once he wrecked his car engine over an obstruction left for scabs. The expensive repair to his car was done for free by a garage in Leeds so he could continue his picketing.
Food parcels Terry appreciated the could. important role played by women during the strike, and when he found that women from the pit kitchens were not getting food parcels from the union, despite a difference. being NUM members he queued up with his colleague Alan Wassell at the local well beyond. TASS office which ran a "Food Parcel Serice" to ensure they got what they deserved. Terry and his mates had helped to raise the growing up. donated food in the first It has been said that his friends. Thatcher defeated the Miners: but she didn't beat Terry or his life-long mates. This bond was forged too not all politics and trade unions. He was a keen sup- relieved to read the article porter initially of Castleford on the fuel protests which in the main I agree with. In rugby league, out In I enclose a copy of the letrecent years supported Barnsley football club, and ter I sent to Socialist Worker which, needless to say, was was a joint season ticket never acknowledged, let holder with his youngest son alone published. I hope that despite the He was a member and Vice sweetness and light over the Chair of Havercroft Parish formation of the Socialist Council and a school Alliances (which I support), Governor. Terry was a driv- you will publish the letter I sent them Havercroft and Ryhill Sports Unpublished letter People were attracted to Terry by his strong personal to Socialist characteristics. He was an Worker honest man who voiced his Dear Editor opinion in a straightforward No: it's not the big employers' and non-offensive way. He organisations, the Tories and was a good man, who never the gutter press that the put anyone down - either to "blockades have confused" their face or otherwise. What we think, SW 16 Above all he would help September): it's you! whenever and wherever he There is irrefutable evidence that the blockade was organHe was genuinely inter- ised by the big haulage compaested in both local and wider nies in collusion with and in politics and would invest alliance with the oil company his valuable time into what- chiefs, Farmers for Action, the ever he thought might make Countryside Alliance, and the Tory leadership.
He had many friends both Even more sinister groups in his local community and such as the BNP were Terry thought involved. The police and media the world of his family and looked on approvingly. Just one his sons Richard and Neal, example: a spokesman for and was with them at all Humberside police says: "the stages of their lives and protesters were extremely well-behaved, with absolutely They provided a major no intimidation or violence source of conversation with used whatsoever Although New Labour is certainly no threat to big business, While he loved talking they still prefer and are far about politics, he had a rule more comfortable with a Tory to avoid all mention of politics when he went for a drink with his friends on