Ray Holtom joined Birmingham City Council the same time as I did in 1995 and I found him to be a staunch upholder of traditional Labour values which he demonstrated to effect when our own New Labour colleagues tried to bring in Housing Stock Transfer. Ray was himself a council house tenant, and it was that group of people who gave a firm “no” to this attempt at privatisation. Due to people like him the attempt failed. I was sad, therefore to note his passing, not in the Post or Mail but in the Stirrer.
Bill Challis and I went over to Weoley Castle to support his election campaign for Labour, and at the same time work against the BNP who were fielding a candidate there. In his disillusion with New Labour Ray joined the Lib Dems. This was difficult to understand when that party went on to prop up the Tories.