Sid French
| Sid French | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| General Secretary of the New Communist Party of Britain | |
|
In office 1977–1979 |
|
| Preceded by | post created |
| Succeeded by | Eric Trevett |
| Surrey District Secretary of the Communist Party of Great Britain | |
|
In office 1950–1977 |
|
| Preceded by | post created |
| London District Treasurer of the Communist Party of Great Britain | |
|
In office 1946–1950 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 1920 London, United Kingdom |
| Died | 1979 London, United Kingdom |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Communist Party of Great Britain, New Communist Party of Britain |
| Spouse(s) | Ruth Harris |
Sid French (1920–1979) was a British communist activist and organiser, former Surrey district secretary of the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) and the founding general secretary of the New Communist Party of Britain.
He was born in 1920, to Ernie French, an active communist, and Ethel Wilkinson, from a family with left-wing views. Sid's sister, Doris, joined the CPGB in 1942, but had been politically active with communists in the 1930s.
French joined the Young Communist League at the age of 14. He first worked in an accountant's office and then as a reporter for the South London Press.
In 1941, during World War II, he was called up and served in the Royal Air Force. Promoted to Sergeant in 1942, French was posted to Gibraltar and later to North Africa and Italy. While on active service French wrote an article for Labour Monthly about the problems facing the Gibraltarians under war conditions. In Algiers he met Henri Alleg, a French communist journalist, who later joined the Algerian resistance against French colonialism and spent five years in prison for his activities.
In 1946, he was appointed to be what was then the full-time post of treasurer of the London District of the Communist Party of Great Britain. In 1950, he was appointed secretary of the newly formed Surrey District Committee of the CPGB in 1950. He remained in that position for more than twenty five years until he resigned, together with other supporters, to establish the New Communist Party on 15 July 1977.
Despite the later characterisation of him by detractors as being an unflinching Stalinist, French was actually long known to be critical of personality cults – especially those involving himself. For example, he opposed the sending of a special message and gift to Joseph Stalin on his 70th birthday.
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