Socialist Resistance supporters were deeply saddened to hear that comedian and broadcaster Linda Smith had lost her fight against ovarian cancer at 48.
Not only was Linda probably the best woman comic of a generation but all of her working life she was a good friend to the left - ever since her early days in Sheffield where she did benefit on benefit to raise money for striking miners in the Great Strike of 1984-85.
Her work in radio and TV earned her millions of fans, especially her frequent appearances on programmes like Radio 4's News Quiz and Just a Minute and Have I Got News For You.
If Linda was ever appearing on radio or TV you could guarantee a bellyfull of laughs without fail.
Unlike other alternative resorting to tired old cliches and while she had a wonderful talent for cutting down to size any tyrant, bully or oppressor, she did it with such exquisite timing and sardonic wit that you could guarantee she really did not alienate people in the process.
Linda was utterly genuine and passionate about her leftwing politics, born out of her working-class roots. She never tried to hide her beliefs and this along with the graceful ease with which she used the English language so creatively meant she was a diamond of political comedy. Her turns of phrase came to haunt politicans after they came under her observant gaze. David Blunkett will be forever known as "Satan's bearded folk singer"!
She connected her politics to people's everyday grumbles in a typically English way and her humour reflected a stoicism that emotionally bonded her to millions.
This stood her in good stead as she faced her illness and death - a very private attair with none of the gushing sentimentalism that often surrounds celebrity illness and which she would have been mortified by.
Linda never joined any group on the left but there was absolutely no question about her committment to socialist causes.
In July 2004 she became President of the British Humanist Association after they invited her to take up the post following hearing her talk about her beliefs on a Radio 4 programme called Devout Sceptics.
Her involvement helped to publisise their work - particularly their current campaign against faith and sectarian schools.
Although Linda felt herself to be an atheist and she had absolutely no belief in the existence of God, she felt that the term 'atheist was too negative a term and did not fully celebrate that intangible thing about people - their propensity for creativity.
She felt it was too often underestimated "just how brilliant people can be".
Linda Smith could turn a mood on a sixpence and precisely because she was so well-known for her solidarity with the oppressed she could get away with humour that would have sounded exploitative coming from others.
Once on News Quiz when copanelist Phil Jupitus didn't even raise a titter with his meanderings, Linda followed the embarassed silence with "Ere Phil, you ever done that Iraqi Comedy Festival? - Just Falafels?"
We have lost an understated comedy legend with Linda's untimely death and the left has lost a true friend.
She will be remembered with huge affection and always with a smile on our faces. Our condolences go to Warren Lakin, her partner of 23 years, and all her family and friends.
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socialist John Lister, Information Director, London Health Emergency Prime Minister Tony Blair himself staged a formal "welcome" into the "NHS family" for eleven profit-hungry private companies on February: 16. They included BUPA, the largest poachers of staff trained by the NHS.
Blair makes no secret of the fact that he intends 2006 to be in the NHS, making major inroads into new areas of our most popular public service. www.socialistresistance.net
Save believe its luck as Blair's team funnels cash into its coffers on
scale Thatcher never dreamed of, there is even more to conne
The first GP practices are already being privatised, with giant US corporation United Health setting up a European subsidiary with a long term plan to grab control of the multi-billion budget for commissioning primary and comCare and hospital care for local populations.
And the apparently bland new NHS White Paper contains a provision for local service users to be able to petition to force their local