He was greatly influenced by the General Secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, John Horner.
Horner was a member of the Communist Party of Great Britain, which Humphries had joined in 1948.
[1][3] Humphries ran unsuccessfully for the position of General Secretary of the Fire Brigade's Union in 1964, losing to Terry Parry by 2,000 votes.
Humphries then assumed Parry's position as President of the Fire Brigades Union, an office he held until 1977.
[2] On the day of his death, all of Strathclyde's fire stations flew their flags at half staff.