Alec Kitson

Alexander Harper Kitson (21 October 1921–2 August 1997) was a British trade unionist and Labour Party official.

Kitson grew up in Kirknewton, from where he undertook milk deliveries to Morningside alongside Sean Connery.^[1] He studied at Kirknewton School before becoming a lorry driver. He became an active trade unionist, and a full-time union official from 1945. In 1959, he was elected as General Secretary of the Scottish Commercial Motormen's Union, serving until 1971, when he took the union into a merger with the Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU)^[2]

Kitson chaired the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) in 1966, and was its Treasurer from 1974 until 1981. He was also long-term member of the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party, serving from 1968 until 1986, and was the Chair of the Labour Party in 1980–81.^[2] He unsuccessfully contested the General Secretaryship of the TGWU in 1977, serving instead its Deputy General Secretary from 1980 until his retirement in 1986.^[1]

Kitson was known as an admirer of the Soviet Union, a position largely influenced by Abe Moffat. He served on the World Peace Council as a supporter of James Lamond, and visited the USSR annually from the 1950s until the 1980s.^[3]

In his spare time, Kitson served on the national council of War on Want, on Corstorphine Community Council, and briefly as Chairman of Heart of Midlothian FC.^[2] In retirement from his union posts, he also served as Chairman of the Board of Lothian Buses plc.^[1]

References

1. Tam Dalyell, "Obituary: Alec Kitson", The Independent, 4 August 1997
2. "KITSON, Alexander Harper", Who Was Who
3. Darren G. Lilleker, Against the Cold War, p.187