My husband, Michael Williams, who has died aged 83, was a passionate socialist who served as a Wandsworth Labour councillor from 1971 to 1990, elected to represent Roehampton. He was chair of the housing management and housing policy committees from 1973 to 1978, when Labour were in control, and then Labour spokesman for housing until 1990, when he retired undefeated.
Mike devoted his time, heart and soul to Wandsworth’s tenants, and they could not have had a better champion of their interests. He battled against bureaucracy and was at the forefront of opposition to Margaret Thatcher’s 1980 Housing Finance Act – which, in effect, took away from councils the right to determine how much their tenants had to pay. Mike joined with others in resigning his position rather than imposing what he saw as anti-democratic policies.
Born and raised in Bridport, rural Dorset, Mike was one of five children of Freda (nee Taylor), a care worker, and Alec Williams, a salesman. After Bridport grammar school, Mike went to London at the age of 19 and quickly found his natural home in Putney Labour party.
In 1957 he joined the civil service in London as a clerk, later working for the Inland Revenue and as a tax adviser at companies including the General Electric Company and Conoco. From 2002 he performed the same role at the accountancy firm PKF in Guildford, remaining there until he retired in 2005.
Mike and I met in Putney in 1984, while I was working as a primary school teacher, and were married in 1993.
He was not only a fearsome opponent politically, but also on the sports field. An impressive fast bowler, he won trophies for his achievements with local London cricket teams in the 1970s (seven wickets for 11 runs!). He also had a lifelong love of football, and supported his beloved Fulham FC through every high and low for more than 60 years. In his later years he took up golf when we moved to Farncombe, Surrey, in 1991.
Reading the Guardian was a daily ritual that sustained his beliefs and gave him hope. He also very much enjoyed our daily battle with the crossword, as well as holidays in Greece and Spain.
Mike is survived by his three children – Sophie and Dan, from his first marriage, which ended in divorce, and our son, Joel – his grandson, Archie, his sisters, Diana and Carole, and by me.
