Jim Torrance
Jim Torrance's was an engineering worker and a leading Dundee Communist.
His father in law was Willie Barclay, also a Communist and the Scottish Painters Society secretary in Dundee, after whom Willie Barclay Square is named.
In 1965, Torrance stood as a Communist Council candidate for Dundee, along with Les Alexander (YCL), Harry McLevy, Willy Grant, Ernie Craig, Alex McGill (building worker), Charlie McClusker (Jute Worker), and Andy Richie (CP Organiser).
The Party stood on a platform of:
1) the need to build a new hospital
2) the lack of council houses – only 850 council houses being built a year then with 17,000 having outside toilets and 30,000 without baths
3) the severe teacher shortages then causing problems in local schools
Jim Torrance was secretary of Dundee Trades Council from 1972-1994 and was an Amalgamated Engineering Union (AEU) member, shop steward and branch office bearer for many years, working at the National Cash Register (NCR) factory in Dundee. Instrumental in the establishment of Dundee Trades Council Social Club (1977-96) and Dundee Resources Centre for the Unemployed (1981-88), he represented the trade union movement in Dundee on a number of civic bodies including Dundee Education Trust.
Jim was also a long serving committee member of Dundee Pensioners’ Forum and represented the Scottish TUC on the Scottish Pensioners’ Forum for many years.
A lifelong Communist Party member, he died on 30th December 2014.
Sources; Daily Worker
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