Soclialist Action website expresses its sadness at the loss of Walter Wolfgang, who died yesterday at the age of 95. We extend our deepest sympathy to all Walter’s friends and comrades.
Walter was a resolute campaigner for peace and justice and supporter of Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the Labour Party.
CND Vice-Chair Carol Turner informed people yesterday that Walter had ‘died peacefully in hospital in the early hours of this morning, after a long and full life.’
Walter was a Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany who became a founding member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) and remained active within CND to the end of his life. He was also a patron of the Stop the War Coalition.
Having joined the Labour Party in 1948, Walter campaigned for greater democracy within the party and then served as a member of Labour’s National Executive Committee from 2006 to 2008. When he received a merit award at Labour Conference in 2018, he called for an international policy based on negotiations not war and for free discussion on justice for Palestinians.
Jeremy Corbyn, who visited Walter in hospital this week, paid tribute to the ‘courageous moral leader’ and said that he was: ‘Deeply saddened to hear that my old friend Walter Wolfgang has died. Walter escaped Nazi Germany and has campaigned for peace and socialism ever since, including his passionate opposition to the Iraq war. Yesterday, we said our goodbyes. He will be greatly missed.’
CND general secretary Kate Hudson said: ‘A huge loss to our movement. Walter was a founding member of CND and was on the committee which organised the first Aldermaston march. He was active with CND as a vice-president and chair of Labour CND until the very end.’
Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said ‘I’m saddened to hear of the death of Walter Wolfgang. 70 years a Labour Party member, lifelong socialist and man of peace who had no trouble calling out the Iraq war lies.’
Ken Livingstone, Labour’s former mayor of London, said: ‘He’ll be greatly missed. We must honour his memory by continuing to fight for peace.’