It it was really sad to hear that a great comrade of Hyndburn Labour, Dave Forshaw has recently passed away. We lost Jack Grime recently and last year Colin Feeley and Sardar Ali.
I can hear Dave even today in his gruff working class accent talking about taking the fight to the Tories and how we must stop them. Anyone who knew Dave would recognise his voice. They would also recognise his passion for the Labour party which was ever present in anything he said or did.
I went to see Dave about 12 months ago and it was sad to see him struggling but he was happy enough in his own way. Battling on as Dave always did. It was great to have a conversation with him about old times but Dave was just as interested in the future as well. He said he was frustrated he just couldn't get out of bed to come out and campaign apologising for his ill health and the fact that his comrades were out knocking on doors and he wasn't there to help. That was Dave. Always thinking about taking the fight to the Tories and standing alongside his comrades.
We went knocking on doors many many times together. Dave was always great company, always ready to go to that extra door, always wanting to campaign, make the argument, always passionate. Forever Labour.
He would ring me up to ask how things were or just to make sure that we were doing everything we could to defeat the Tories. I remember the 2004 Rishton ward election where Dave was Labour's candidate. I remember going over many times to Rishton to campaign with him and discuss the election. Just to be out and about and around him was fun. Everyone loved campaigning with Dave. He gave those around him a lift with his energy, enthusiasm and passion. He was funny too with a great sense of humour. We lost that election but it didn't dampen Dave's commitment, enthusiasm or his passion to 'beat them next time'.
When he wasn't fighting Tories he was generally laughing, drinking or talking or all three at once! I recall those days and that particular election very fondly and now with a great degree of sadness knowing that Dave has passed away. If Dave was campaigning in Rishton I was over there straight away. He was such great company and we got along so well.
He had loads of energy and every day was a campaigning day in which he loved to meet people and make the case for Labour.
I used to see him at the Rishton events too where we would always have a good natter. He rang me up one day saying he had loads of videotapes of Rishton events from the past and that I was on one or two of them. He asked me if I would look after them and transfer them to DVD. I said I would. He had a passion for the future but a fondness for the past too.
He was a great and well known Rishtoner. How can anyone forget Dave's gruff voice, his strong working class East Lancashire accent and mannerisms. He was a man of the people, a typical working-class Labour man. No nonsense. The Tories were for the rich and Labour the workers Dave would repeat. Great days.
Dave, you'll be missed mate but you'll never be forgotten.
Graham Jones MP
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