The Independent Labour Party (ILP) representative in Barcelona. He is characterized by selflessness, bravery, and a dignified commitment to the Republican cause. During the Barcelona street fighting, he braves the dangerous, barricaded streets of Barcelona to bring Orwell and his friends a couple of packets of cigarettes. Even though he had left the country for France, when the POUM was declared illegal he decided to return to Spain in order to show solidarity to his companions. McNair goes into hiding with Orwell during the wave of arrests in Barcelona in June 1937 and leaves the country on the same train as Orwell and his wife.