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Militant

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From: The Socialist issue 924, 9 November 2016: Bosses' government, bosses EU...fight for socialism

Search site for keywords: Obituary - Labour - Militant - Labour Party - Socialist Party - Birkenhead - Merseyside - Peter Taaffe - Liverpool

Obituary: Hilary Mooney 1945-2016

Hilary Mooney, for over 50 years first a supporter of Militant and then a member of the Socialist Party on Merseyside, has sadly passed away at the age of 71 after a lengthy period of illness that she bore with great fortitude.

She was the wife of Ted Mooney, also an intrepid supporter and member of Militant and the Socialist Party, the mother of Jim and Jenny, grandmother to Connor, Arron and Louis, and mother-in-law to Katia.

We will all miss her, particularly her close family and comrades.

Her roots were deep in the Merseyside labour movement. Her mother and father were members of the Independent Labour Party and then the Labour Party.

She hailed from Birkenhead, like me, and participated in the Labour Party Young Socialists in the town at the same time as I did in the early 1960s.

The labour movement then opposed capitalism - the 'dog-eat-dog' society, the system based upon production for profit and not social need - and looked towards democratic socialism as a solution to society's ills, something that Blair and those who supported him did not!

Ted was also active in the Labour Party Young Socialists in Bootle and the two met and were together for more than 50 years.

He was a leader of the 1960 apprentices' strike, in which 100,000 young workers took part. Alex Ferguson, the legendary ex-manager of Manchester United, also took part in that strike. Ted also led the epic sit-down strike at English Electric in the 1960s.

Hilary was herself a trade union representative of the clerical workers at Camell Lairds. She was also variously a member of Birkenhead Labour, Toxteth, Bootle and Walton Labour parties.

She was a consistent supporter of Militant, now the Socialist Party, from about 1961, and supported the marvellous militant struggle of Liverpool City Council in the 1980s.

Both were founding supporters of Militant and Hilary paid subscriptions to the party right up to the day of her death.

Linda Taaffe and I have very fond memories of Hillary with her serene and sunny disposition.

We mark the passing of our dear friend and comrade Hilary for her consistent support for the struggle for socialism.

We send condolences to Ted and their family.

Peter Taaffe

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Finance appeal

The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.

The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.

The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.

The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
When the health crisis subsides, we must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.