Michael Foot

Like thousands of other socialists I was saddened to hear of the death of Michael Foot, writes David Williams, Green councillor, Oxford City Council. He was one of the great orators of the 20th century. I witnessed him make many inspirational speeches and saw him do many brave things. My enduring memory was when he came to support me when I stood as the Labour candidate in the semi-rural constituency of Colne Valley and the way he stood up to the hunting lobby, who held their national day of action on the day of his visit during the 1983 General Election.

Fifteen Labour party members faced 2,000 baying hunt supporters in Holmfirth as his car arrived in the town's car park. Photographers from all the national daily papers were there, as was the TV, but I begged him not to get out of the car as the pro-hunting mob were out for blood. They had smashed up the memorial gardens where Michael was to plant a cherry tree to commemorate a peace activist.

He said, "NO! They must not win," got out of the car and marched across the car park with only me and half a dozen Labour members between him and the thousands of crazed huntsmen. He stopped outside a chemist and used his stick to point to a notice in the window – "New Prescription Charges". Bemused, the hunt lobby stopped, and a strange silence prevailed for a few seconds. Michael launched into: "That's what this election is about – the destruction of the NHS." Cameras caught the moment and that became the message.

"Quite right!" shouted some local pensioners. Then all hell broke loose, with placards flying through the air and cries of "Let the dogs at him!" The police dived in to rescue Michael and he was stuffed into a police car. I jumped on to a wall by the supermarket and started to shout out a speech – "A fair deal for man and beast!" Their anger turned on me and the police car sped off. I ended up making a run for it as they started to throw things.

Michael's courage was amazing, and he managed to turn what could have been a PR disaster into an opportunity to get a central message home. If only we had such people in the Labour Party today I would never have left.

Sorry to be a pedant, but I believe there to be two errors in your obituary of Michael Foot, writes Dr John D. Eales, Senior Lecturer in Statistics. Dingle Foot was Solicitor General in the 1964-70 Labour government and not the 1945 one (when he was still a Liberal); and in the 1980 Labour leadership election, Michael won by 139 votes to Denis Healey's 129 (not 120).