Keith Cargill, a member of People Before Profit has died after a long period of ill health. Keith was a lifelong rebel, union activist, fierce anti-racist and SWP member in Birmingham until he left for Ireland in 1995, finally settling with Brona, his wife, in County Clare.
His opposition to the fascists in the 1970s got him a two year suspended sentence for unseating a policeman from his horse on an anti-fascist demonstration in Birmingham. Saturday Socialist Worker sales were part of his weekly routine. The Toyota he won at a raffle became the district car.
Once in Ireland, Keith took an active part in the campaign against water charges and to try to stop the closure of the A&E department in Ennis hospital. In 2003, he regularly drove his wife Brona to the peace camp at Shannon airport where women were protesting against the US warplanes landing during the war in Iraq. He attended demonstrations in Ennis and Dublin to change the Constitution over Gay rights and Abortion rights.
Well read, a keen mind, never afraid to speak his mind, Keith attended Marxism in the UK and Ireland and followed day to day political developments to the end. He was generous to a fault and a lover of the fine things in life. He remained active as long as he was able. The last few years he struggled physically with the support of his amazing partner Brona. In the end, his body gave way and it remains to us to continue that fight for a better world he wanted to see.