Lew Adams

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Lew Adams (born 1940), is a British trade unionist.

Adams started his career with British Rail aged 15,^[1] working his way up to become a steam engine driver.

A local Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF) trade union representative, Adams was voted in as General Secretary in 1987. Towards the right of the trade union political spectrum, he vigorously opposed the Conservative governments' privatisation of British Rail via the Railways Act 1993, and was attacked and labelled by the right wing tabloids, most famously as "The Black Prince of Militancy" by the Daily Mail during 1995's rail strike.^[2] Adams later had a locomotive named after him by Virgin Trains boss Sir Richard Branson using the same "Black Prince" name, the first union secretary to have such an honour since former ASLEF secretary W P Allen, general secretary until 1947.^[3]

After being voted out of office in May 1998 to be replaced by left wing candidate Mick Rix,^[4] Adams joined Virgin Trains as a training manager.^[1] In 2003 Adams was campaign manager for right-wing candidate Shaun Brady's unexpectedly successful campaign to be elected ASLEF General Secretary, defeating the incumbent Rix. Brady was removed from office the following year after a bitter dispute with the unions' National Executive Committee.

Adams was later appointed to the rail regulatory authority set up by the new Labour Party government, the Strategic Rail Authority; and is a board member of the British Transport Police authority.^[5]