A FORMER North West industrial organiser of the Communist Party of Great Britain has died at the age of 84.

Peter Coughlin was born in 1937 in Blackburn in Lancashire. Both his parents were trade unionists and political activists — his father Tom had been active in the National Unemployed Workers Movement and was a Communist Party member who became circulation manager of the Daily Worker, forerunner of the Morning Star.

He met Peter’s mother Jessie at the Lenin School in Moscow. She was an active member of the Communist Party in Glasgow where she led successful strikes.

Peter’s early years were spent living in Birch Lane Longsight, an area of what is now Greater Manchester, known then in local political circles as “Kremlin Corner” because its residents included Communist Party members and volunteers who had fought in the International Brigade, including Sam Wilde and Jack Brent.

He joined the Young Communist League at the age of 14. He became an apprentice engineer at Metropolitan Vickers (Metrovicks) in Manchester and joined the Amalgamated Engineering Union (AEU), now part of Unite. He was later a member of the Association of Shipbuilding and Engineering Draughtsmen.

In 1958 he helped lead an apprentices’ strike at Metrovicks and in 1960 with a friend, Albert Pannell, he set off to hitch-hike around the world.

For part of the journey he worked on a Norwegian oil tanker to earn money for passage to Australia and then New Zealand.

In 1963 he joined the New Zealand Communist Party and was deported the same year because of his political affiliations. But he was forbidden to board a P&O ship to Canada because it was calling at Honolulu, politically part of the United States, and the US authorities said the ship could not enter US waters, let alone dock, if he was on board.

At the time the US was coming through the aftermath of the McCarthyite anti-communist purges, and the tense international political situation during the Cuban missile crisis in 1962.

When he attempted to board the ship, not knowing he was banned, a fracas ensued with police during which several officers ended on the dockside ground, a policeman’s helmet fell between the dock and the ship, and the 6 foot 2 inch, 14-stone Coughlin was arrested.

After court appearances he was eventually allowed to leave and returned to Britain where he resumed his trade union and political activity, working in the engineering industry.

In 1976 he became CPGB North West full-time industrial organiser, and in 1977 CPGB North West district secretary. He was a member of the national executive and political committee of the CPGB.

In 1979 he was the first British communist to attend a US communist congress for 30 years. His warm welcome by waiting US communists outside the airport was in contrast to the United States’ determination to prevent him entering US territory in 1963.

He later wrote of his welcome: “‘Yes,’ I thought, ‘brilliant,’ and stepped forward to greet them. After McCarthy and all that, there I was walking, so to speak, straight through the front door.”

His continuing political activity included involvement in the People’s March for Jobs in 1983.

He retired from full-time work for the CPGB in 1983, and in 1984 returned to the engineering industry. He became a mature student, gaining a BA in general art from Manchester Polytechnic in 1987.

He worked as a draughtsman from 1985 to 1995, at which time he retired, but his political activity continued with involvement in local campaigns and in the Stockport Credit Union.

He died in March. He leaves a son, Andrew, daughter Zoe, and close personal friend Marilyn.

His funeral takes place at 1.45pm today, Friday April 22, at the Rowan Chapel at Stockport Crematorium. Donations can be made to the Christie Hospital.