period in the Arthur Scargill's Socialist Labour Party. Rix insisted that the FUWL group had not to ape the left of the old days but had to include a senior officer, senior lay member and a trusted staffer, so that the decisions made at FUWL meetings would go through the various networks of union internal structures. FUWL insisted that it was not the preserve of males, and included the very powerful TUC women's network, along with the editor of the Morning Star. FUWL became a powerful block on the TUC. FUWL basically wrote the policy agenda and in 2001 it ended the right wing dominance at the TUC on policy, and in winning elections to the general council elections in a number of unions. FUWL worked with the Campaign Group of MPs on a whole host of projects. Rix was responsible for creating the influential Justice for Colombia (JFC) group in late 2000, which helped raise awareness of the deaths and murders of trade unionists taking place in the country. When Rix formed this influential group within the British trade union movement, there were over 250 trade unionists being murdered in Colombia each year. By the time Rix had moved on, this figure had been cut to around 50 to 70 a year, with regular visits and fact finding missions to Colombia taking place by leading trade unionists, journalists, solicitors, politicians, and NGOs. Rix even met the Vice President, later President, Juan Manuel Santos, and berated him over the impunity involved in the murders. Nearly every trade union in the UK plays an active part in JFC. Rix, along with others, was a founder of the Stop the War Coalition, but later resigned from the organisation. He spoke at most of STWC's large popular demonstrations. He is also active in the Cuba Solidarity Campaign, has visited Cuba many times, has met with many leading Cubans, including Castro, and holds the Workers' Central Union of Cuba (CTC) medal, and the Che Guevara medal, presented to him by the general secretary of the Cuban CTC. Rix also helped Denis Goldberg, the South African anti-apartheid activist, with his activities with the Woodcraft Folk on numerous occasions, until his return to South Africa. Rix has visited many countries meeting leading trade unionists and politicians. Personal life Born in the West Riding of Yorkshire but raised in Leeds, Rix has three children. He owns a