Ken Savage

A QUIET, short speech by the shadow chancellor John McDonnell on Friday at a gathering in Hampstead to remember Ken Savage, a pensioners’ leader, summed up his life.

“He was the finest socialist and trade unionist I’ve ever met,” said Mr McDonnell.

Jeremy Corbyn, he apologised, could not attend because he was speaking at a trade union conference.

But he remembered how often he would be rung by Ken Savage to book a committee room at the Commons so pensioners could meet MPs.

Ken’s ideas had played a big part in forming the Labour manifesto for the general election, he said.

After Ken’s funeral service at Golders Green crematorium, which had been a family affair, scores of friends and supporters of the Greater London Pensioners body that he led, met at Hampstead Old Town Hall in Belsize Park.

Among them were ex-Camden councillor Graham Shurety whose family was close to Ken’s.