The Socialist Party is shocked and saddened by Joe Simpson’s passing. We send our deepest condolences to Joe’s partner Emma and all his family. We also stand in solidarity with his union, the Prison Officers’ Association (POA), and its general secretary Steve Gillan.
Joe was a fighting socialist trade unionist, who came to the Socialist Party because of New Labour’s role in restoring the Tory ban on prison officers’ right to strike and its refusal to end prison privatisation. In this, he was following the tradition of former POA general secretary Brian Caton, who also had joined the Socialist Party. Both spoke at our Socialism rallies.
Joe was an implacable opponent of the policies of Blair, Brown and now Starmer – supporting Corbyn’s Labour leadership as well as sitting on the national steering committee of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC).
Joe was a proud member of the POA leadership over this whole period, when the union has fought relentlessly against prison cuts, never afraid to defy the outrageous attacks on their trade union rights. Their motion calling for the 2012 Trades Union Congress to consider a general strike was passed after a huge lobby by the National Shop Stewards Network, which the POA is affiliated to. Joe, like Brian and Steve, spoke at NSSN conferences and rallies, arguing for mass action to take on the Tories and for the unions to fight for socialist policies.
We salute a friend and comrade – rest in power brother.
