date: 20 August 2001 embargo: 15.00hrs Monday 20 August 2001

Attention: news and industrial editors

John Monks' eulogy at the requiem mass of Jimmy Knapp

It was Rodney Bickerstaffe who first said of Jimmy: 'What you see is what you get'

And what I saw, and what I invariably got, and Norman Willis before me, was wise counsel, huge integrity, strong support, and steadfast friendship.

I know that many of you, perhaps all of you, feel the same way.

Jimmy was one of the best known trade unionists of our generation, certainly the most widely mimicked.

You did not have to be Rory Bremner to catch the essence of those trademark Ayrshire tones - though that did not stop Rory from making Jimmy one of the stars of his act.

But not everyone could quite master Jimmy’s voice.

It was Tony Dubbins who told the story of how, during one period when Jimmy was on the radio more often than Terry Wogan, a London radio station ran a phone - in competition for the best Jimmy Knapp voice.

After listening to a few passable imitations, Jimmy decided that the prize money would make a useful contribution to the union strike fund and called the radio station himself.

He had only managed a couple of sentences when the presenter interrupted him, saying, 'that’s nothing like Jimmy Knapp, you are clearly an Englishman, get off the air.' Jimmy’s protestations merely brought the response. 'You might be Jimmy Knapp, but you don’t sound like him.'

Jimmy was a railwayman to the core. He started his working life as a signalman at the age of 15 in his native Ayrshire, where he will be laid to rest on Wednesday. His entire working life was devoted to the railways. What has happened to the industry in recent years saddened him deeply.

Throughout the changes, he always sought the best for his members but he never ignored the industry and the travelling public. He was never trigger happy but if supporting the Union’s members meant industrial action he never flinched.

From those days in the signal box, and from the Socialist Sunday school before that, Jimmy learned about discipline and about sticking to the rules.

It gave him a solid base during those difficult years as general secretary of a union right at the centre of the political and industrial storms; within the Labour Party undergoing its unprecedented period of change; and within the TUC, where I greatly valued his innovative support, as we sought to adjust the organisation from a committee based machine into an outwardly focussed campaigning organisation.

During 1994, Jimmy’s year as president of Congress we saw all TUC and union matters the same way. Our only two rows were about the conduct of Mike Atherton - the England cricket captain no less who was found tampering with the ball - and of Eric Cantona who practiced his kung fu on a spectator at Crystal Palace at a game we were watching together. I took a rather tolerant, some might say, biased view. But Jimmy was clear. They had behaved in a manner unbecoming and should go. We argued about it for months.

The term ‘gentleman’ is not entirely fashionable today but Jimmy was a great, natural gentleman.

He was also a great president of the TUC. Scrupulously fair, totally committed, and keenly aware of the honour that had been bestowed upon him. His meetings always started on time. We usually reached the right conclusions. If only the rail companies were as punctual.

Principles were never sacrificed in Jimmy’s world. But that did not detract from his skills as a negotiator. Indeed it enhanced his standing with friend and foe alike. There have been many employers who recognise Jimmy’s qualities and some of them are here today.

It says much about Jimmy that he was first choice whenever we needed someone of standing to help resolve an inter-union dispute, and he had recently been appointed a member of the ACAS Council.

Jimmy was modest, warm and generous. He may have risen to the heights but he retained strong affection for those who devoted their spare time to trade unionism and they in turn recognised his dedication, straightness, courage and innate decency.

He was for many years, the chair of the TUC South East Regional Council; and he remained until his death, the chair of our trades council committee.

He was held in high regard by all within the trades councils movement. In fact, that’s the only thing on which they have ever been unanimous.

He was one of the great trade union leaders of this generation. But he had the timeless qualities that would stand out in any generation.

Can you picture Jimmy up there alongside those in the battles of the twenties and the thirties? I certainly can. I can see him too amongst the leaders of new unions of the 1880s. I can imagine him alongside the founders of the TUC in 1868. And I can even envisage him lining up alongside the Loveless brothers and the others in Tolpuddle in the 1830s preferring deportation to compromise. Indeed those of you with a religious belief might even be able to imagine him now up there busy organising the heavenly host.

But for all those timeless qualities, let us not forget the impact which Jimmy had on trade unionism today.

He was on the side of the workers, but he knew a bit about capitalism too. He was one of the driving forces behind Unity Trust Bank and Trade Union Unit Trusts.

He was also one of the trustees of the TUC Pension Fund - that’s how much we trusted him.

He was committed to trade union education too and deserves great credit for what has been described as the quiet revolution - the growth of the learning rep as the third force within trade unionism alongside the shop steward and the safety rep; someone who campaigns and champions access to learning as a worker’s right and as a real benefit to the employers too. These learning reps will be our next generation of shop stewards.

Fittingly he managed to be in Congress House a few months ago for the re-launch of the TUC’s education service.

The tabloids’ dinosaur tag was always ridiculous. Jimmy was an innovator, one of the very first union leaders to embrace, for example, community groups in his rail and seafaring campaigns and one of the first to use opinion surveys.

And in that territory between the trade union movement and the Labour Party, Jimmy strode over the past two decades with confidence; it’s been a minefield, but Jimmy carried an instinctive mine detector - winning some, losing some - but respected and liked by all. I sincerely believe that the party and the trade union movement are both in a much better state thanks to him.

He was a great internationalist too. He was an out and out champion of the anti-apartheid movement when others had reservations and qualifications. I remember that he went to South Africa in spite of opposition from the ICFTU and from the TUC. We had good reasons at the time but the verdict of history is on Jimmy’s side.

The media made much of the fact that Jimmy was the same age as Cliff Richard.

But there was one big difference between Jimmy and Cliff. As anyone will tell you who has heard Jimmy roar out Keep Right on to the End of the Road - Jimmy had a much better - well, certainly much more powerful - singing voice. He could have given Mahilia Jackson a run for her money, never mind Cliff Richard.

Jimmy was born to support Kilmarnock, though he chose to support Crystal Palace as well - not one of his best decisions but he was ever the champion of the underdog.

The past 12 months have been desperately difficult for Jimmy and, of course, for Eva too. Cancer can be a powerful and cruel foe, giving little or no mercy - and it gave none to Jimmy.

Eva has characteristically given everything to help Jimmy hold the night at bay.

Indeed Eva has brought Jimmy great joy and comfort over the past 12 years - it was happily mutual. And following their marriage earlier this year, they were looking forward to a well earned retirement in Spain where, for once, Jimmy was planning to support a successful team - Barcelona.

That now cannot be. But Eva knows that the contribution of family and friends, which has been such a great help for the past year, will remain for her in the difficult times ahead.

We all have our memories of Jimmy. Eva’s comfort, and those of the rest of the family, especially Fiona and Hugh, must be that they have so many more memories than we have.

It is Eva’s wish that we build the Jimmy Knapp Cancer Fund into a major weapon against the disease and I know that you will all respond magnificently to the appeal.

Father Michael,

I am not a religious man, but I recognise in my way that Jimmy lives on after death. He lives on in the memory of us all and, as long as we live , so does he. His spirit will continue to caress us, sustain us and support us. We are much the better for it.

Thanks Jimmy, you were known in RMT as the big man and you were a big man in every sense. It has been an enriching and privileged experience for us all to know you and to love you.

Notes to Editors:

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Press release (1,700 words) issued 20 Aug 2001