The content of the political tract, Workers Against Racism, penned by the noted investigative journalist Paul Foot in 1973, could easily provide a commentary on the past ten years of Tory governance in Britain. In a barb aimed at the Conservatives, who for decades were reportedly blind to the deficiencies in housing and education, Foot criticised their use of their own failings in these department as ammunition to attack black workers – a tactic which struck a chord with white employees living amid these precarious conditions.
Fast forward to the present – the Conservative party has been usurped by the reborn Labour party under new leadership, exactly two decades after Foot’s untimely demise. One can’t help but speculate what ‘Footie’, as he was affectionately known, would make of the current state of affairs, in much the same vein as we ask what George Orwell, a figure Foot idolised, would think of contemporary public matters.
The parallels between Orwell and Foot’s lives are not hard to identify, considering both their upbringings contained elements of overlap, and they both dedicated themselves to using their writing skills in tandem with their political acumen to expose the elites of society. Foot’s accomplishments are the centre of attention in an absorbing biography by his former co-worker and journalist, Margaret Renn. She paints a vivid picture of Foot, an untiring journalist and activist, who strived tirelessly to right societal wrongs. Her compelling narrative is a fitting tribute to his life and contributions.
Foot was well recognised for rattling the cages of society’s top brass, shining a light on their incompetency, corruption, cover-ups and the injustices they perpetrated. Despite his privileged background – including a public school education and Oxford degree, and his birth into a political dynasty – Foot relentlessly held those in power accountable for their actions. After all, his uncle Michael ascended to the leadership of the Labour Party during the 1980s, making the Foots a favourite among news headline writers (an example includes the memorable tagline, “Foot Heads Arms Body”).
The title ‘A Life in Politics’ is indeed pertinent. Paul was dedicated more to grassroots politics. He voiced the concerns of average individuals, activists and coordinators, those on the left of the labour movement, and anyone unjustly targeted who lacked the means to counter-attack. The odious types in politics, those who craftily climb their way to the top treating politics as nothing more than a game for personal gain, only attracted Paul’s attention if he could discredit them as the fraudsters they truly were.
An unwavering socialist and fervent trade unionist, Paul’s political ideology was quite straightforward and honourable: he dreamt of an equitable society with equal rights for all, and a world where public resources are used for the benefit of everyone. He departed this life holding this belief. He also maintained a humourous outlook on his principles, as his old friend Eamonn McCann noted: “I know of no man who could chuckle so heartily at the ridiculousness of our system.” They must have erupted with laughter when they organised a meeting in Kilburn, London, to kick off the Irish civil rights movement, only to find nobody showed up.
Paul’s excellence as a reporter and speaker made his prosperous upbringing just situational, enabling him to contribute to a variety of publications across the political spectrum (Daily Mirror, Private Eye, Socialist Worker, London Review of Books etc). He had the aptitude to inspire conviction whether speaking at a young socialists’ gathering in the Gorbals or a Welsh miners’ assembly, making appearances on the BBC, or giving lectures at his former university. Paul had a deep affection for Ireland, drawn to its natural beauty — he was unyielding in revealing the duplicity of the British government’s part during the Troubles (read his book on Colin Wallace and the British army in Northern Ireland for one representative example). He used his influence during the Birmingham Six and Guildford Four campaigns, and was seen alongside Bernadette Devlin, who he believed brought a “touch of the ongoing rebellion not just in Northern Ireland but in many other parts of the world too” to Westminster.
Renn narratively presents his journey, passionately and lucidly: the arduous years of investigative reporting; the tumultuous world of revolutionary politics and activism; and experiencing the societal chaos during the tenure of Margaret Thatcher. Renn further encapsulates Foot, a man of generosity, warmth, and wit, adored by kin and companions, an avid reader and a fan of verse and cricket. It’s fitting tribute to a figure who will incessantly motivate reporters, rookies, and veterans alike; a figure who demonstrated that passionate advocacy can coexist with powerful writing.