David John Scott Cook (4 August 1941 – 25 February 1993) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

communist activist, also known as a rock climber. Born in

Warrington Warrington () is a town and unparished area in the borough of the same name in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, on the banks of the River Mersey. It is east of Liverpool, and west of Manchester. The population in 2019 was estimat ...

, Cook grew up in

Solihull Solihull (, or ) is a market town and the administrative centre of the wider Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in West Midlands County, England. The town had a population of 126,577 at the 2021 Census. Solihull is situated on the River Blyth ...

, and was educated at

Solihull Grammar School Solihull School is a coeducational Independent school (UK), independent day school in Solihull, West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. Founded in 1560, it is the oldest school in the town and is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmi ...

and St Catharine's College, Cambridge, where he joined the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB). He then became a teacher in

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popula ...

and was active in the

Young Communist League The Young Communist League (YCL) is the name used by the youth wing of various Communist parties around the world. The name YCL of XXX (name of country) originates from the precedent established by the Communist Youth International. Examples of Y ...

, eventually becoming its full-time National Organiser, based in London.Graham Stevenson,
Cook Dave
, ''Compendium of Communist Biography'' Involved in rock climbing since his school days, Cook became a prominent writer on the subject. In particular, he championed the role of cultural history in writing on mountaineering, and on the importance of including feminist perspectives.Terry Gifford, ''Reconnecting with John Muir: Essays in Post-Pastoral Practice'', p.167 In 1974, Cook became the party's national election agent, then the following year, he was appointed as National Organiser of the CPGB. In this role, he defended the

Eurocommunist Eurocommunism, also referred to as democratic communism or neocommunism, was a trend in the 1970s and 1980s within various Western European communist parties which said they had developed a theory and practice of social transformation more rele ...

s who were looking to change the approach of the party, and was also responsible for organising All Party Rallies with performances by Scritti Politti and

Shakin' Stevens Michael Barratt (born 4 March 1948), known professionally as Shakin' Stevens, is a Welsh singer and songwriter. He was the UK's biggest-selling singles artist of the 1980s. His recording and performing career began in the late 1960s, althoug ...

. But by 1981, his role had been circumscribed by opponents in the party, and he left to work at a children's support union, also devoting time to the Campaign Against Racist Laws. Cook returned to work for the CPGB in 1983, as national campaign organiser. He stood unsuccessfully in

Vauxhall Vauxhall ( ) is a district in South West London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. Vauxhall was part of Surrey until 1889 when the County of London was created. Named after a medieval manor, "Fox Hall", it became well known for ...

at the

1983 The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning ...

and 1987 general elections, losing his deposit on both occasions. The CPGB dissolved in 1991, and Cook joined its successor, Democratic Left. In 1992, he founded the Green Socialist Network, intended to bring together socialism and

environmentalism Environmentalism or environmental rights is a broad philosophy, ideology, and social movement regarding concerns for environmental protection and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks ...

. However, he was involved in a traffic accident the following year, while in Turkey, and died of complications soon afterwards.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cook, Dave 1941 births 1993 deaths Alumni of St Catharine's College, Cambridge Communist Party of Great Britain members People from Warrington