John Gollan (2 April 1911 – 5 September 1977) was a British political leader who was general secretary of the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) from 1956 to 1975.

On International Workers' Day, 1 May, the following year, he joined the CPGB and its youth wing the Young Communist League (YCL).

He had been organising soldiers to demand better rights and conditions, an activity for which he was sentenced to 6 months in HM Prison Edinburgh.

[2] After a popular campaign calling for his release, he was freed in January 1932 and began working for the party.

In 1956, he became the party's General Secretary and immediately had to deal with the drop in membership following the Soviet crushing of the Hungarian Revolution.