Les Cannon

Who was Les Cannon?

Sir Leslie Cannon was a prominent British union official and served as General President of the Electrical Trades Union from 1963 to 1970. He was born in Wigan, the son of a coalminer, and became a Communist activist, and trade union leader; member of Electrical Trades Union Executive Council, North Lancashire and Merseyside, 1948 - 1954. He left the Communist Party of Great Britain in 1956. In 1961 he uncovered an ETU ballot rigging scandal, and successfully sued the union. Cannon became president of the ETU in September 1963, a post left vacant by disgraced former president Frank Foulkes.

In his time as leader of the ETU he took part in a merger with the plumbers' union to create the EETPU.

Cannon died from cancer on 9 December 1970.