Bill Moores, a former Deputy Leader of Salford Council and ceremonial Mayor of Salford, has died at the age of 84. He was a lifelong trade unionist and Labour Party activist who played a key role in the city's regeneration in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
A driving force in Salford's regeneration
In the late 1980s, parts of Salford were desolate and bleak, requiring brave decisions and partnerships with private developers and talks with a Tory government. Moores stayed true to his roots and became a key man in Labour's leadership as it got to grips with regeneration into the early 1990s.
He was deputy to Salford Council leader Bill Hinds when, thanks to the foresight of planning boss councillor Ben Wallsworth, a shattered city showed signs of rising again. Ben, previous council leader Les Hough, and then-chief executive Roger Rees, were the architects of a gamble that would transform the city and its reputation.
In an agreement finalised behind closed doors, the council decided to pay £1m for the city's desolate docklands, which had once been the spine of the city's economy. That decision not only created Salford Quays but helped cement Greater Manchester's reputation as the foremost city-region outside the capital.
From the Copthorne Hotel to MediaCityUK
The Copthorne Hotel was built at the Quays and opened in 1987, inviting other entrepreneurs. The opening of The Lowry arts centre was a game changer and a trigger for what is now MediaCityUK, with both the BBC and ITV having studios there. It also has the new set of the world's longest running soap, Coronation Street.
Moores, an always-dapper deputy to Coun Hinds, was part of a team which drove much-needed rebuilding of the inner-city, alongside big hitters like councillors David Lancaster, Bernard Pennington, and Wallsworth.
He served for many years as a Labour councillor on Salford City Council, becoming Deputy Leader between 1988 and 1993 before serving as Mayor of Salford in 1998 and 1999.
A lifelong trade unionist
His involvement in trade unionism began at just 16, when he joined the Boilermakers' Union. In 1968, on joining the Chloride works in Pendlebury, Salford, he became a member of the Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU), one of Unite's predecessors. His association with the T&G, and subsequently Unite, would continue for the rest of his life.
During his working life at Chloride, he was actively involved in the union's workplace organisation, serving on the TGWU branch committee while also undertaking his responsibilities as a Salford councillor. Following his departure from local government, he continued his industrial work as a union convenor, representing his fellow workers and defending their interests.
During the strike of 1984–85, Bill forged Salford's solidarity with the striking miners, with the city twinned with Durham and flying pickets travelling from the Durham coalfield to Agecroft Colliery in Salford. In recognition of the support provided by Salford's Labour councillors and activists, the local Labour Party banner became the first Labour Party banner permitted at the Durham Miners' Gala for a period. Bill remained a regular attendee at the Gala throughout his life.
Political legacy and tributes
He and his wife, Margaret, were regarded as a Labour Party power couple, attending meetings together. He was also a mentor to many taking their first steps into local government, and aiming for Westminster. As early as 2012, he was among those who recognised and championed Rebecca Long-Bailey's political potential, encouraging her on the path that would lead to her election as Labour MP for Salford and Eccles in 2015. He was a friend of Ian Stewart, the TGWU-sponsored Labour MP for Eccles, and played an instrumental role in supporting Stewart's selection as Labour's candidate for the first directly elected Mayor of Salford.
Rebecca Long-Bailey said: "I am so deeply saddened to hear of the passing of former Salford councillor, deputy leader and Ceremonial Mayor William 'Billy' Moores. A true Salford giant, dedicating his life to serving others, he fought tirelessly against injustice, poverty and for a decent quality of life for all, both in his decades of service as a Salford councillor and as a lifelong trade union and Labour activist."
Paul Dennett, City Mayor of Salford, said: "Bill Moores was a true Salford giant who dedicated his life to serving our city and its people. As a councillor, Deputy Leader and Mayor, he fought tirelessly for working people, pensioners and a fairer society."
Ritchie James, Unite North West Regional Secretary, said: "His time at Chloride and his lifelong association with the TGWU and its successor, Unite, reflected a commitment to standing up for working people that never wavered. From his early days as a workplace representative to his years supporting retired members, Bill never stopped organising, campaigning and fighting for justice."
Following his retirement and move to Frodsham in Cheshire, Bill helped lead both Frodsham Labour Party branch and the then Weaver Vale Constituency Labour Party. He remained deeply involved in Unite, serving for well over a decade as Secretary of the Greater Manchester Retired Members' Branch, on Unite's National Retired Members' Committee, and representing retired members on the union's North West Regional Committee, where he was affectionately known as "Young Bill".
As recently as September 2024, he spoke out publicly against cuts to winter fuel payments and their consequences for pensioners struggling with the cost of living. In a statement Unite said: "From the factory floor to the council chamber, from the Labour Party branch meeting to the retired members' movement, Bill remained committed to solidarity, fairness and social justice."
Bill was born in Blackpool as his mother was evacuated there while pregnant with him, but grew up in Salford living in Cook Street off Whit Lane. During most of his married life he lived in Pendlebury. As well as his wife, Margaret, he leaves two daughters, four grandchildren, and one great granddaughter. Outside of politics he was a supporter of Manchester United and Salford's rugby league team.
Former Salford councillor John Warmisham, who was one of many who benefited from his guidance, said: "He was a strong socialist trade unionist. He spoke like a trade unionist, and he looked after me."
