John Kotz, who has died aged 84, was one of a generation of articulate, well-read, fiercely partisan, class-conscious council politicians. His steady progress through the Labour party from 1953 to the 1980s, as youthful activist, agent, councillor, mayor and leader of Hackney council is detailed in his autobiography, Vintage Red (2011).
Born in Hackney, east London, to Jewish parents, Hirsch, a tailor, and Sarah, he overcame an education interrupted by evacuation to gain a formidable reputation as a local government leader.
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