Mike Davis remembers a committed life
John Sunderland died on the eve of the new year. John was a long-standing, thoughtful and committed socialist and Labour party member involved with Chartist for almost 50 years. He was born in Halifax and lived much of his early years in Hebden Bridge. He joined the Labour Party there when he was still at school.
We first met him when he was at Leeds university studying Chinese & politics in the mid 1970s. He stood for president of the student union. He loved clubbing in an era of punk, reggae, new romantics, and Rock Against Racism.
He was an early gay liberation activist and champion of the sexual rights of young people. He began writing for the monthly tabloid Chartist and helped write our Youth & Class Struggle publication produced for the LPYS 1978 conference.
He helped write an innovative resolution for that conference on sexual rights, gay, lesbian and women’s liberation. Militant then the dominant political group in LPYS refused a separate debate on the composite placing it in the debate on the motor industry, declaring in justification that car workers were young and probably some were gay.
An active and knowledgeable trade unionist he was at Orgreave during the miner’s strike. He joined the Editorial Board of Chartist in 1984 and remained an active member until 2019 when he moved back to Leeds. He wrote regularly on gay politics, China and Hong Kong and was a champion of refugees and the marginalised. His last article published last year was a critical review of a book by John Ross advocating China was on the road to socialism.
John became Chartist treasurer in the 1990s and always kept meticulous records. He stayed in the post for at least 15 years. He became a freelance HR consultant following work for the Refugee Council and British Muslims for a Secular Society (BDSM). He was a governor of Lewisham College and a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and the RSA. John did much pro bono work, at the drop of a hat, for friends and relatives of friends, and friends of friends who found themselves in dire straits at work. He was generous in his support for people working in community organisations and charities.
He remained a discerning warm hearted socialist and friend until his untimely death at the age of 68.