Militant supporters march agianst the poll tax, photo Steve Gardner

Militant supporters march agianst the poll tax, photo Steve Gardner   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

We are sad to report the death of long-standing Hillingdon Socialist Party member John Boots, who has died aged 76.

John first became politically active during the great anti-poll tax movement of the 1990s. He remained a convinced socialist and active in many local campaigns over the years, including the successful campaign against the transfer of Hillingdon Council housing stock to private landlords.

He attended his party branch regularly, and also our regular Saturday sales of the Socialist newspaper, until the last few years when his health started to deteriorate. But he remained passionate and steadfast in his socialist beliefs.

An engineer by trade, John would read widely on a range of subjects, and was also the practical handyman of the branch, never failing to help sort comrades’ household problems.

He was not one to be fobbed off by authority and would rage against the greedy capitalists whenever he came across injustices.

John is remembered with great fondness and humour. For someone born on 14 July – when 230 years ago the storming of the Bastille political prison began the French revolution – we will honour his memory by remembering why we are all involved in revolutionary politics.

Rob Diment, Hillingdon Socialist Party