The Tottenham working class activist and campaigner Alan Woodward passed away on Saturday 20th October.
Alan had a stroke and fall on Tuesday 16th October and was admitted to the North Middlesex Hospital the following day. His close family* had rallied round during his hospital stay and were with him when he died peacefully.
Alan Woodward was a lifelong working-class revolutionary immersed in support for workplace struggles and other anti-capitalist movements. He started with the International Socialists (later the Socialist Workers Party). He was then very active in the Haringey Trades Union Council. In recent years he gravitated towards independent libertarian politics, including the Haringey Solidarity Group, believing it was necessary for workers to take direct control of all workplaces and through workers coordination councils thereby create a new economy and society without capitalism or governments. In his writings he explained he was drawing on what he saw as the best traditions of revolutionary socialism and anarchism.
Dave Morris (Tottenham, 21.10.2012)
* The contact for the family is: Peter Woodward -
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** Radical History of NE London
*** Alan's autobiography Poor Boys Tale (Vol 1 the first 60 years) is available from Housmans Bookshop as are some of his pamphlets on Workers Councils, Shop Stewards movements, NHS history, Visteon Factory Occupation, and on other London working class activists like Joe Jacobs and Joe Thomas. All were self-published by Alan under the name of Gorter Press. Many can be found, summarised or reviewed on the RAHN site.
**** Details of his funeral and any commemorative events or publications will be circulated. See the above site.