Pat Wall: Difference between revisions

'''Charles Patrick Wall''' (6 May 1933 – 6 August 1990) was an [[English people|English]] [[Trotskyist]] [[political activist]] who was the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) for [[Bradford North (UK Parliament constituency)|Bradford North]] from 1987 tountil his 1990death. Wall was a long-standing member of the [[Militant (Trotskyist group)|Militant]] group.

Born into a [[Liverpool]] [[working class]] family on 6 May 1933, he began [[political activity]] when he was picked up on a [[Canvassing|canvass]] by a local activist in 1950. Wall adopted a [[Trotskyism|Trotskyist]] outlook and joined the [[Jimmy Deane|Deane]]-[[Ted Grant|Grant]] group, the remnant of the [[Revolutionary Communist Party (UK, 1944)|Revolutionary Communist Party]], which later became the [[Militant (Trotskyist group)|Militant]] group. Wall became [[Garston, Merseyside|Garston]] [[Constituency Labour Party]] Secretary in 1952.<ref>Peter Taaffe, ''The Rise of Militant'', London, Militant Publications, p. 10 [http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/militant/mil2frame.htm?intro.htm]</ref>

Wall played a role in moving the Liverpool Labour Party to the left in the late 1950s as a member of the (then) joint Liverpool Trades Council and Labour Party Executive. He was also one of the youngest [[Liverpool City Council|Liverpool]] councillors in the 1950s.<ref name="socialistparty.org.uk">{{Cite web|url=http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/polltax/p2frame.htm?ch40.htm|title=We Beat the Poll Tax|website = [[Socialist Party (England and Wales)|Socialist Party]]|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927030510/https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/polltax/p2frame.htm?ch40.htm|archive-date = 27 September 2007}}</ref>

During the general election in 1983 Wall faced press criticism for his [[Trotskyist]] views, particularly in ''[[The Sunday Times (UK)|The Sunday Times]]'', which portrayed Wall as wanting "civil war" and "bloodshed",;<ref>''Sunday Times'', 7 March 1982</ref> in response a ''Militant'' editorial statement claimed that"''Militant'' was in favour of a peaceful transformation of society. No supporter of ''Militant'' would ever advocate or encourage 'bloodshed' or 'civil war'. ... Pat was explaining that if there was any threat to a peaceful transformation of society, that threat would come from the capitalist class itself."<ref>''Militant'', issue 592, 12 March 1982</ref> He was disowned by the Labour Party leader, [[Michael Foot]] publicly denounced his candidacy during the 1983 campaign.<ref name="socialistparty.org.uk"/>

After a long illness, Wall died in the intensive care unit at [[Bradford Royal Infirmary]] on Monday 6 August 1990, aged 57.<ref>"Labour MP Dies After Long Illness" ''The Times'', 7 August 1990</ref> More than 700 people attended a memorial meeting held after his funeral, the speakers including [[Arthur Scargill]], [[Max Madden|Max Madden MP]], [[Dennis Skinner|Dennis Skinner MP]], [[Dave Nellist|Dave Nellist MP]], [[Bob Cryer|Bob Cryer MP]] and [[Terry Fields|Terry Fields MP]].<ref>"Pat Wall Memorial Meeting" ''Militant'', 24 August 1990</ref>