Roy Farrar, Liverpool and Merseyside Socialist Party
Terry Harrison’s funeral was held on 29 October and well attended by friends and comrades alongside his wife Marie, children Davy and Rachel and grandchildren Owen and Ian.
Terry had died in his care home after suffering for some years with dementia.
He was a stalwart of socialism in Merseyside – a founding member of the Militant Tendency (forerunner of the Socialist Party), devoting his energies to supporting Marxist ideas and activities in the class struggle.
Reformism was triumphant based on the world upswing of capitalism in the post-World War Two era with genuine Marxists a ‘minority of a minority.’ Socialist Fight newspaper – forerunner of Militant and then the Socialist Party – was one of the smallest groups at that time. Terry joined this grouping in 1959. To participate, and to work to build it, required a deep understanding of Marxist ideas, which Terry proceeded to demonstrate.
In 1960, Terry was the secretary of the apprentices’ strike committee on Merseyside. The strikes involved 100,000 apprentices nationwide, with Liverpool and Clydeside being to the fore. Marxists played a leading role in this against the bosses and the trade union bureaucracy.
He began his apprenticeship as a boilermaker and recorded his work experiences in his memoir ‘Serving My Time’.
Terry wrote an article, ‘Say No To The Call Up’, in the first issue of Militant published in October 1964. He opposed working-class youth being drafted in to the armed forces, and advocated for the liberation of the colonial peoples still oppressed by imperialism, backed by military might. In the early 1960s, Terry was in the army in Hong Kong doing his own National Service.
He played a key role in building Militant on Merseyside. At the Cammell Laird shipyard he was able to sell over 100 copies of each edition of Militant to his workmates. During a demonstration against ‘In Place of Strife’ – Labour’s attack on trade union rights in 1969 – Terry led a small team of members that sold more than 200 copies of Militant.
He became the first full-time party worker for Militant Tendency on Merseyside and had a major role in educating younger members during the growth of Militant branches on Merseyside.
His deep grasp of ideas and his ability to convey them was invaluable in building a principled political grouping.
In 1979 he was Labour’s candidate for Liverpool in the first European elections held in Britain.
Following the Liverpool City Council campaign in which he played a leading role – as vice president of the Liverpool District Labour Party – he was expelled from Labour in 1986.
Up to his illness he had fought for pensioners’ rights and against all cuts in services and jobs, whether by Tory or Labour. He endorsed the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition along with other anti-austerity election candidates.
Terry had huge respect across the movement. His knowledge, humour and tolerance was valued.
Condolences to Marie, and all of Terry’s family and friends.
