Raymond Corrick "Ray" Challinor (9 July 1929 – 30 January 2011) was a Marxist historian of the British labour movement.
Pupils were actually encouraged to take part in local politics and in 1941 he became involved in the Lancaster by-election, supporting the Independent Labour Party candidate Fenner Brockway.
During his National Service, Challinor registered as a conscientious objector and so worked the lands instead of joining the military.
He also struck up a friendship with Stan Newens, later a Labour MP, who had chosen the Staffordshire pits for his National Service.
As a young activist, Challinor had formed the opinion that the Soviet Union was not a workers' state.