Background
Cave was born in Edlington in Yorkshire and grew up in nearby Brodsworth.
Cave was born in Edlington in Yorkshire and grew up in nearby Brodsworth.
He became a coal miner on leaving school, and quickly became active in the National Union of Mineworkers (National Union of Mineworkers). Cave rose through the ranks of the National Union of Mineworkers, becoming the Brodsworth pit"s delegate, then gaining election to the executive of the Yorkshire Area and, in 1982, becoming Agent for the Yorkshire Area, then a full-time post. Yorkshire was the largest area of the National Union of Mineworkers, so he played a key role during the strike of 1984/5.
In 1990, Cave was elected as Vice President of the National Union of Mineworkers, but the national programme of pit closures had reduced the importance of this role, and Cave had time to devote to other political activities.
In particular, he was a strong support of Fidel Castro, and arranged aid convoys to Cuba, as a result of which he travelled to the country and met Castro. In this role, he stood on the party list in the European election, 1999 in Yorkshire and the Humber, but was not elected.
The Court agreed that the two had not attempted to profit from this transfer.
As a committed socialist, he became a key ally of Arthur Scargill, then a member of the branch committee at a nearby pit. He also joined Scargill"s Socialist Labour Party, and was elected as its President in 1997, serving until his death in 2002.