Consumer champion who made life less difficult for shoppers, tenants, patients or anyone having to contend with officialese
During his two decades at the National Consumer Council, John Ward, who has died aged 83 of heart failure, brought about improvements in practice and law from which many now benefit. John widened the notion of consumer protection beyond its focus on shoppers’ rights, taking in previously neglected areas such as public services.
These ranged from simple ideas such as paying utility bills at local post offices (thus helping their survival) and plain-language explanations for tax returns and insurance forms, to setting up consumer organisations for previously underrepresented groups.
