1952-2009

A lot of people knew Bill Speirs, and a lot of people considered him their friend.

Whenever there was a campaign to be supported, the odds were that Bill would be there, sometimes quietly in the background, but as often as not, leading the way, providing inspiration and commitment. He was a stalwart supporter of the miners and others fighting for their communities and their livelihoods, and a fierce opponent of injustice and iniquity.

He is best known for his work as the General Secretary of the STUC from 1998, but he had already made his mark on the Scottish Labour and Trade Union movement long before, working for the STUC from 1979, and through his many other political involvements. Bill was a very longstanding, firm and active friend and supporter of many international solidarity movements, such as Nicaragua and Cuba, and the Anti-Apartheid Movement and ACTSA, before, during and after his spell as General Secretary of the STUC. He had a strong commitment to the Palestinian cause and worked tirelessly to raise the issues within the labour movement and to increase public awareness of the plight of the Palestinian people.

Within the Labour Party, Bill fought for the retention of the socialist principles on which the party was founded. He was a signatory of the statement that launched the Clause IV campaign, which in turn led to the creation of the Campaign for Socialism.

As a leading light within Scotland United, he was a true Scottish socialist, supporting devolution not for any petty nationalist sentiment, but as a means to improve the lot of the working people of Scotland.

He would surely have shone as an MP or MSP, but I suspect he enjoyed being free-thinking and politically inclusive too much to get bogged down in the restrictions of parliamentary party politics.

His politics were not limited to the mainstream of political activity, and he carried his commitment into other areas such as the theatre, where he was involved with 7:84 and many cultural events. As Jack McConnell put it, “he had a belief in the power of culture to change people’s lives and to lift their aspirations.”

Bill was a good friend to many people. He was very sociable and great company. I fondly remember conferences and social events where we made merry and sang socialist songs until late into the night. And Bill knew a lot of songs, so that could be quite late.

Bill Speirs made an enormous contribution, not just to the Scottish labour movement, but to the Scotland that we have today, and to many people across the world for whose causes he fought.

He made a difference, and he will be greatly missed.

Obituary by Cathy Peattie MSP

Funeral service: 1pm at Renfrew Town Hall, Renfrew Cross, Renfrew, Renfrewshire PA4 8PF

Internment: Arkleston Cemetery, Renfrew, Arkleston Rd, Renfrew, Renfrewshire PA4 0RA

Following the funeral, there will be refreshments provided at the Prince of Wales Hall, Queen Street, Renfrew.

Family flowers only, but if people wish to make a donation in Bill’s memory, any of the following causes were dear to his heart:

• Community H.E.A.R.T. 6th Floor, Sunlight House, Quay Street, Manchester M3 3JZ (Health Education And Reconstruction Training for Southern Africa is a Registered Charity No. 1052817)
• Scottish Friends of Palestine, c/o Hugh Humphries, 31 Tinto Road, Glasgow, G43 2AL
• War on Want, Development House, 56-64 Leonard Street, LONDON EC2A 4LT
• Connolly Association

The day will be a celebration of Bill’s life, so the family are asking people not to go to any trouble to wear black or dress in a sombre fashion.

The Citizen – Issue 1 – front page

In this issue:
For a Global Clause Four
Common Ownership and Social Justice
A Green Clause Four

Campaigning for Socialism: Spring 1995

The decision of Tony Blair and his acolytes to try to write out parts of the Labour Party constitution which would dilute its commitment to socialism, is based on an arrogant assumption which does not bode well for the future democracy ofthe Labour Party. That as­sumption is that the leadership knows best and that the party needs this change.

But despite the applause of the media, despite consider­able Labour Party resources diverted from more important campaigns to back the Leadership’s position, despite the praise of ex Labour right wingers of the SDP and ex-communists of the Democratic Left, the party membership in Scotland has made it crystal clear that they will not allow clause fourto be ditched.

Almost two dozen resolutions poured in for this year’s con­ference in Inverness affirming support for the need for com­mon ownership. And contrary to what the spin doctors of the Blair entourage have tried to tell us, this is not some veneration of a meaningless idol, which can be replaced by the fatuous phrases of Brian Wilson’s empty journalism.

Supporters of clause four recognise that common owner­ship is a means to an end and that end is the destruction of the primitive, exploitative, capitalist system, which vision­ les sections of the Labour Party now want to tell us is “dy­namic” and the basis of better world under Labour!

It is not a question of a form of words. The real debate is a debate about how the Labour Party can play its part in transforming soci­ety. Blair wants to take us back to pre – Labour Party days when the power of capital was not challenged by the existing two party structure. We insist on moving forward to a future free of the blight of capitalist greed and oppression.

This year’s Scottish party conference is important because it will give Labour Party members the first real opportunity to tell the leadership what they think of the so called re­forms. It is not too late for the leadership to accept that for

Blair’s arrogant assumptions threaten party democracy many in the party and that includes most of those who ac­tively campaign before, during and after elections, clause four represents an important reason for remaining in the Labour Party and that without it, would be difficult to distin­guish Labour from those parties whole heartedly commit­ ted to promoting the interests of big business and wealth.

Please note that all signed articles in The Citizen are in a personal capacity. The Citizen welcomes debate and will gratefully receive contributions to the clause four debate and other issue important to Labour and Community activists.