Frederick John Horner (5 November 1911 – 11 February 1997) was a British firefighter, trade unionist and politician, best known for creating the modern Fire Brigades Union.

[2] In 1933, Horner returned home from sea to take the examination for a second mate's certificate but the depression of the 1930s meant many ships were laid up and it was impossible for a newly qualified officer to find work.

[2] Horner soon became active in the Fire Brigades Union that in 1934 had just over 2000 members, most of whom were in the LFB under the control of London County Council (LCC) that was refusing to reduce firefighters' weekly hours from 72 to 48.

During the Blitz of 1940-41, Horner visited every fire station in the country, supporting his members on the front line of the UK's civil defence against the bombs and successfully campaigned for improvement in the AFS employment conditions.

While waiting for the bells to go down at Southwark Fire Station, he read Marxist literature and the Daily Worker and when off duty attended Communist Party meetings.

[3] In 1945 Horner turned down offers for him to stand as a Labour candidate in that year's General Election and instead formally joined the British Communist Party, a decision he was later to regret.

Fellow MP, Tam Dalyell was to wrote that Horner was denied the ministerial office that many of his contemporaries thought he deserved because Harold Wilson, the Prime Minister, was too nervous about appointing such a prominent ex-communist.

Horner was known as a great raconteur and a polymath, fascinated by art, literature and philosophy with a deep interest in history and 'an impeccable guide to the castles, churches and village inns of the Welsh borders'.