Michael Aidan, Treasurer of the Americas Branch and Trade Union Liaison Officer for LI, sadly passed away on 21 January 2026 at his home in California.
Michael was born in Carlisle in the UK but grew up in Norwich with his parents and one sister, Angela. His interest in politics started early, with Michael’s nascent progressive views sometimes putting him at odds with his father who held much more conservative views than he did. The classroom was not somewhere Michael enjoyed being: he left school at 16, soon enough joining the civil service at the Stationery Office. This led him to leave Norwich and move to London, where he would meet his future partner–a relationship that took him to the United States in the 1970s, where he stayed for the rest of his life.
Once in the US, two major interests dominated his life. One was his beloved game of football, which he both played and coached long before it became mainstream here (despite living thousands of miles away, he remained a fan of Norwich City). The other focus was union organising which he got into somewhat serendipitously first in Arizona at a local engineering union, then in California in a major healthcare system.
Overall he dedicated many decades of his life to negotiating on behalf of union members, demonstrating all the qualities we came to know and admire in Michael: integrity, determination, and a deep respect for the dignity of work and working people. He was above all an advocate who believed strongly in the importance of public service.
Later in life, Michael started to fill the gaps in his academic record, obtaining both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Drexel University in Philadelphia. He was in fact still working on the final stages of his doctorate which he hoped to defend in 2026; sadly, he was not able to finish it.
We knew him best as someone deeply committed to Labour, investing considerable time in his various roles such as TULO, especially in recent years. He lived probably as far west as any member of LI, but would still attend meetings even if it meant staying awake until the early hours.
Following a period of turbulence in the wider party, which saw many longstanding members leave, Michael stepped up as Treasurer for the Americas in 2022 to ensure the branch’s ongoing viability.
Many of us will remember him also as the organiser of the campaign for international representation, a policy goal that he took to Conference in Liverpool and was still leading as recently as December 2025.
Michael had one son, Alex, and two grandchildren, all living in London. In the last few months he had started to look for a new home closer to his family but obviously was not able to make the move.
Losing Michael was very unexpected. His LI Americas colleagues had last spoken with him in December, and had met with him in person more than once last year. It was a great shock to them all to discover that Michael had passed. There are many things we will remember about him: his energy, vision, dedication, willingness to learn, but also his evident respect for and warmth toward his colleagues.
Michael did not need to be the center of attention and instead gave space to others to express their views, even when he disagreed with them; he was careful not to say things that could not be taken back. He was also a strong voice of encouragement for the next generation and took it for granted that everyone would want to be as active as he was.
We have lost a friend who embodied the integrity, honesty and values-based leadership that can seem so rare in today’s politics. In his life, he gave us many gifts: may they bear fruit in the years to come.