Death of former University of Portsmouth lecturer John Molyneux sparks tributes to 'giant' of leftwing and anti-racism causes

John Molyneux died at the age of 74 in his home in Dublin shortly after a heart attack on Sunday, according to close friends.

While teaching as a lecturer at the School of Art, Design and Media at the University of Portsmouth, John was a leading figure in a variety of causes across the city and beyond, with his efforts ranging from anti-racism marches to protests against the war in Iraq in 2003.

John went on to write extensively on socialism and Marxism, attracting an international audience for his books and articles.

The much-missed activist was a ‘big figure’ in leftwing circles and his death has been been ‘devastating’ for those who knew him and were influenced by him, according to friend Simon Magorian.

Simon, a longstanding anti-racism and anti-fascism activist within the city, said: ‘People are very, very shocked. We didn’t see this coming.

‘I first met him over forty years ago during an anti-Nazi march. He did a lot of work in Portsmouth. He was in a leading figure in the anti-racist movement.

‘I think what people don’t realise is that he wrote loads of books. He’s an internationally known figure on the left.’

Simon says his John had been committed to fighting injustice until his the day of his death, attending an anit-war event shortly before he fell ill.

Speaking to The News over a decade ago, John said his early travels to New York, where he saw ‘ubelievable wealth’ in close proximity to the city’s skidrow, and then going to Paris during the student protests of 1968 set him on a lifelong path of demanding radical change. He said: ‘That convinced me people could change things and made me a revolutionary.

‘It means the belief that fundamental change in society involves mass revolutionary action by working-class people and a commitment to work for that.’

London socialist bookshop and publisher Bookmarks, which published several of John’s works, released a statement saying that the intellectual was ‘greatly missed’.

A representative from the bookshop said: ‘Earlier this year, Bookmarks published John's Selected Writings, covering everything from human nature, to religion, philosophy, the rise of Stalinism, the lessons of the Egyptian Revolution, the case for Irish unity, the climate crisis and much more.

‘Just three days ago he was interviewed at a rally to welcome refugees in Dublin, in response to far right protests against asylum seekers in recent weeks.

‘The ideas that he fought so tirelessly for will continue to be carried into the struggle by all of those who learned from his writings and talks.

‘Our deepest condolences to John's partner Mary, his children and wider family, and to all who knew and loved him.’