Career
Born in Camberwell, Rust began working at Hulton"s Press Agency, before moving to the Workers Dreadnought communist newspaper (produced by Sylvia Pankhurst). He joined the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) shortly after its foundation, and in 1923 he joined its executive, as a representative of the Young Communist League. He attended the Fifth Congress of the Communist International in Moscow.
In 1930, Rust became the first editor of the party"s newspaper, the Daily Worker.
He was in the post for two years, before becoming the CPGB"s representative in Moscow, then after a period as a party organiser in Lancashire, he became the Daily Worker"s correspondent with the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War. Rust returned as editor of the Daily Worker in 1939, remaining in the post until his death from a heart attack in 1949, aged 45.
He was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium.