John Harris, a former member of the International Marxist Group (the then British Section' of the Fourth International, died recently.
John joined the International Marxist Group in 1969 and was actively involved in the main work of the organisation at that time: solidarity with the Vietnamese revolution.
He helped build a branch of the IMG in Norwich, where he was a student, before moving to East London where he was active in the squatters movement.
In the early 1970s John moved to Manchester and worked in the engineering industry. He tried to build an opposition inside the AUEW to the Communist Party which had a stranglehold on the union at that time.
In 1974 the Scanlon leadership of the AUEW, supported by the CP, left Manchester engineers to fight alone in what was supposed to be a national strike. John's was one of the few voices raised at national meetings of shop-stewards against this betrayal.
In 1979 John began working on the buses in Manchester. By this time he had left the IMG but he remained a fighter for the interests of the working class. John was one of the so-called 'Gang of Four' who eventually forced the right-wing branch secretary to resign.
He also continued to involve himself in political activities - supporting the right of the people of Ireland to self-determination, defending lesbian and gay rights and arguing for women's liberation.
Four years ago John had to give up his job as a bus driver because of ill-health. For much of the last few years of his life he suffered considerable back pain, probably a result of his work.
For the last three years of his life John had isolated himself from former comrades and friends. Unable to walk even a few hundred yards to his local pub and no longer able sit in comfort, he either had to stand, or lie flat on his back.
Since John was always a very sociable person, liking nothing better than a good argument over a few (usually quite a few) pints, this enforced isolation must have been very hard for him.
Tragically John died when his condition was gradually improving and he was able to emerge from his isolation, dying at an open air concert.
Music was one of his great loves and John's taste was extremely wide. I will always remember him for introducing me to the music of Bob Marley at a time when almost the only Reggae available was boring, repetitive stuff that found its way into the lower reaches of the Top Thirty.
Many people remember John as one of the few revolutionaries who could actually sing the Internationale in tune (and knew all the words).
John was born in Newport and he had no doubt that his home town was in Wales. He was fiercely proud of his Welsh nationality, particularly when watching the Welsh Rugby Union team. However badly Wales had played they were always robbed in John's eyes.
Appropriately his ashes will be taken to his beloved Wales to be scattered. John's funeral took place on June 20 and was attended by former comrades from the IMG, members of other political organisations and a delegation of bus workers.
A number of people travelled considerable distances to pay their respects to a working class fighter.
John left the Fourth International many years ago but, unlike so many former members of revolutionary organisations, he never sold out. He would have been pleased to know that at his funeral a collection raised over £150 for the Liverpool Dockers. THIS SUMMER the marching season in the north of Ireland seems likely to attract controversy.
I cannot write from first hand experience of the situation in Ireland, as I have only made 2 short visits to that country, but based on my own experience of having grown up as part of the Protestant community in the Bigots on parade west of Scotland, where Orange walks do take place to some extent, I would say that the people of Catholic areas such as Drumcree and the Ormeau Road are absolutely right to object to the Orange Order marching through their area.
Actually, there are some runof-the-mill community organisations, not causing any serious