Alfred Augustus Watts

Alf Watts was born in 1862 and was a compositor by trade and a member of the Social Democratic Federation. Later he became part of the leadership of the British Socialist Party (along with Albert Inkpin, the General Secretary, J.F. Hodgson, Fred Willis and John MacLean) as its Treasurer. Watts was a well known opponent of World War One. He attended the Leeds Labour Party Conference in June 1917, during momentous events in Russia, and wrote of the conference: "(t)here was a fine feeling about the whole show, , and I felt all on the tingle all day - we talked about it all the way home. If it enthused an old cock like me, who is by temperament inclined to look on some of these gatherings with a rather cool and detached air, you may agree it was good. The great thing is for us to get to work, and I hear the provisional committee is up and doing. Locally I think we must get on with it."

Watts was a founder member of the Communist Party in 1920 and a member of the Unity Convention provisional committee. A Poplar Guardian from 1904-1928, as such he was a key supporter of the Poplar Councillors in 1921 and he himself was elected a Poplar Labour/Communist Councillor from 1925-28. He was also a London County Council Councillor for North Battersea 1919-1925, elected in March 1922 as an openly Communist Councillor along with fellow Communist, J Butler. Alf Watts died in 1928

Michael Walker