A Scot aiming to become the first woman to lead the UK's biggest trade union has said she was inspired to enter politics after hearing Jimmy Reid give a speech.
Christina McAnea left school at 16 and worked in a variety of jobs in Glasgow before joining the union movement in her late 20s.
The daughter of a dinner lady from Maryhill is now one of four candidates in an election to become the next general secretary of Unison, which represents more than 1.3 million public sector staff across the UK.
But it was hearing Scotland's most famous trade unionist give a speech in the early 1970s which inspired her to first stand up for workers' rights.
In an interview with the Record, McAnea said the power of Jimmy Reid's oration helped change the course of her life.
"I was political from a young age," she said.
"I would describe myself as quite a dull teenager - I was the one down at the library every other night.
"When I was 15 I went to Glasgow City Halls and heard Jimmy Reid speak. He was fantastic.
"It was after the famous work-in at the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders and he spoke for about two hours.
"I joined the Maryhill branch of the Communist Party directly after. I used to sell the Morning Star outside the old working men's club at the back of the Wyndford estate along with my sister."
McAnea quit the Communists after being put-off by the level of infighting within the party and took a job as a housing officer with Glasgow city council, where she also helped tenants apply for benefits.
From there she joined the GMB as a tribunals officer and in 1987 got a job at the union's head office in London.
She switched to the old National and Local Government Officers Association (NALGO) in 1989, which following a merger four years later became part of Unison.
The union represents a variety of public sector workers and 80% of its members are women - but so far all of its general secretaries have been men.
"I'm surprised to be the only woman standing in this election," she said.
"Some of the smaller, specialist unions have had women general secretaries. But there's not been a woman general secretary of the bigger general unions."
Ballots will be issued to members later this week and McAnea's pitch to them is simple - the union needs someone who can stand up for public sector workers at a time when government finances are struggling due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"We are heading for a major recession at the end of the pandemic," she said.
"With a Tory government in Westminster we know what will happen. They will come after public sector funding and public sector jobs.
"As the biggest public sector union, we need to be in a position to stand up to them.
"We need to make the case for public services and the work they have done in getting through this crisis.
"The Westminster government can't cut the money that goes into these essential services. They can't go after the pay and conditions of our members."
Two of McAnea's rivals for the top job at Unison have been backed by Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell, but she turned down the offer of a similar endorsement from other Labour figures despite being a party member.
She recognises the need to work with different devolved administrations across the UK and the various parties that are in power.
"The union can't centralise everything," she added.
"I am very keen to make sure the regional branches have enough money and support to deal with the various administrations that they have to respond to.
"In Scotland, it's particularly important. I want Unison to make sure they have the funding to represent every single member north of the Border."
