 |
Ken CoatesBritish politician, writer and publicist
Date of Birth: 16.09.1930
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
- Ken Coates: British Politician, Writer, and Activist
- Communist Party Involvement and Disillusionment
- Formation of the International Group
- Activism and Political Involvement
- Academic Career and Later Life
- Literary Contributions
Ken Coates: British Politician, Writer, and Activist
Early Life and Political AwakeningKen Coates was born into a working-class family in Nottingham, England. As a young man, he joined the Young Communist League of Great Britain. He chose to work as a miner in Nottinghamshire rather than be conscripted into the British Army's Malayan campaign.
Communist Party Involvement and Disillusionment
Coates joined the Communist Party of Great Britain but left after the Tito-Stalin split, with whom Coates sympathized. Following the Soviet invasion of Hungary, he and Pat Jordan became central figures in a group exploring Trotskyism.
Formation of the International Group
In 1958, after attending the Fifth World Congress of the Fourth International, Coates and Jordan established the International Group, which later evolved into the International Marxist Group.
Activism and Political Involvement
Coates played a significant role in the Institute for Workers' Control, the Vietnam Solidarity Campaign, the European Nuclear Disarmament movement, the Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation, and the Independent Labour Network. He was elected to the European Parliament as a Labour Party Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 1989 to 1999, serving as the chair of the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Human Rights for five years.
Academic Career and Later Life
After retiring from the European Parliament, Coates became a professor in the Department of Adult Education at the University of Nottingham. He has also supported the Scottish National Party and served on the advisory board of the influential leftist journal "Novi Plamen" in former Yugoslavia.
Literary Contributions
Coates has authored and edited numerous books on political philosophy, democratic and humanistic socialism, social and economic issues, peace, disarmament, and democracy and human rights. His book "The Case of Nikolai Bukharin" explores the life and work of the Bolshevik leader.
