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Terry Liddle – a tribute from SA Nat Sec Pete McLaren

Terry died suddenly in mid november. I knew him very well, as a friend and comrade, someone I had known since the early days of the Socialist Alliance in the 1990's when he was the Secretary of Greenwich SA. He regularly attended national meetings once they started to take off around 1996, and was on the SA National Council and other national bodies. I was always impressed by Terry's complete lack of sectarianism and his determination to build left unity. He always spoke in a most positive way to move the socialist alliance project forward. He was committed to his work in Greenwich, where he was a tower of strength to those within his community that he helped empower. He was a genuine libertarian, environmentalist, republican socialist – but a socialist first and foremost.

Terry became part of the campaign to try and save the original SA from being closed down by the then leadership of the SWP in the early part of this century. He remained a member after it was closed down, and when it was re-launched in 2005. He was Treasurer of the re-launched SA in its early years, and, until very recently, I still received stuff from the Electoral Commission in his name! Indeed, he remained a member until now, being fully paid up for 2011 even though deteriorating health meant he could no longer attend meetings. We would correspond regularly, by phone, and more recently by email. He was a true friend and a committed socialist.

Terry was a tower of strength to the movement, and he will be sorely missed. My thoughts are with his family and close friends at this very sad time

Pete McLaren 01/12/12