Sidney Ford

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Sir Sidney Ford,

MBE (29 August 1909–13 August 1983) was a British trade union
leader.

Sidney William George Ford was born in Edmonton, London. Ford began working for the

Colliery Officials and Staffs Area of the union. He was known for his loyalty to the Labour Party and his opposition to the union's left-wing.[2]

The MFGB was refounded as the

communist.[2] He retired in 1971. For a number of years prior to his death he suffered from Parkinson's disease, and died as a result of this on 13 August 1983 aged 73.[1]
He died in Palmers Green, Winchmore Hill, London N.21.

Ford's period as leadership was marked by mass pit closures and relatively little resistance. His successor, Joe Gormley, wrote in his autobiography that this passivity led many mineworkers to distrust the white-collar COSA section of the union, which influenced the lack of support for the moderate Trevor Bell, who ran against Arthur Scargill for the leadership in 1981.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b "Who's Who". Ukwhoswho.com. Retrieved 2012-05-27.
  2. ^ a b Andrew Taylor, The NUM and British Politics: 1969โ€“1995, p.25
  3. (PDF). University of Nottingham. p. 43-44. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
Trade union offices
Preceded by
James Shearer?
Secretary of the
Colliery Officials and Staffs Area
of the National Union of Mineworkers

1951–1960
Succeeded by
Cliff Shephard
Preceded by President of the National Union of Mineworkers
1960–1971
Succeeded by