Robin, a lodestone and lodestar.

I  knew  Robin  Murray  because  I  was at university  with  Frances, though  I  am  unsure exactly  when we met. However  the  first  time  I  heard  him  speak  was in  Walthamstow,  North  East   London during  the  late  1960s when  he was  connected  with  the  May  Day  Manifesto  Group.  The  ‘manifesto’  had   appeared  in  1967  and  then expanded  to  become  a   Penguin  the  following year.  It  was  a thoughtful  attempt  to  launch  a left  socialist  alternative  to mainstream  Labour which  could  be ‘ contemporary in  experience, educated  in  method,  democratic  in  organisation and  strong in  action.’ (p.189)

May  Day was  not  to  materialise as  a national movement  but  many  local  community    groups   took  off  and  I  was  aware  of  QueenSpark publishing  in  the  1970s in  which Robin and Frances were involved.

It  was  to  be through  working  at  the  Greater London Council from 1983 to 1986 that our paths  crossed and  connected.  Robin headed  the  Industry  and  Employment Unit  which was committed to developing  an  alternative  economic  strategy for London. Hilary  Wainwright was running the Popular Planning Unit and the  small band at the GLC was  recognising they had to expand by the time I arrived. 

Robin’s  enthusiasm was  infectious.  Municipal economic planning might sound like a dry topic but he infused it with an heroic  gusto.  Robin traced economic threads way  beyond London itself, linking up  to  miners in  Wales,  co-ops  in Italy and shop stewards in Brazil.

We  new  arrivals  were  viewed by many of the seasoned workforce  as  a cross between  a  guerrilla  invasion  force  and  deranged visionaries.  Robin remained  totally  un-phased, striding  the  corridors bearing  an  eclectic banner in  which  the  Webbs nestled  next  to  Abercrombie  and  Workers’  Control.

I soon  found  out  that his  idea of  what  an  individual worker like me could accomplish were capacious indeed.  After one meeting I went  home realising I appeared to be co-editing the newspaper  ‘Jobs  for  a  Change’ as  well as being responsible  for integrating  domestic  labour  and  child  care  into  the  economic  strategy, not  to  mention London’s  cleaners  and even  dry  cleaning businesses.  I think  the  latter  was  because  I  mentioned  being  friendly  with  the  Turkish  Cypriots  who  ran the  cleaners  in  Clapton.  As  I  was  only  employed  for  three  days  a  week  because  I  had  a  six  year  old  child, even  Robin  decided my  job  was  not  feasible.  To my   relief  bits  of  my  brief  were shed. 

Robin was  so  open  to   creative  ideas that with  the  support  of  the   Labour  councillors  we  soon started not  simply  to  expand  the  scope  of economic  strategy but  to  find diverse  ways  of  involving  Londoners, from  music  festivals  to  exhibitions.

GLC Committee  meetings  were a  bizarre  mix  of  the  tension  of  horse  racing and the  fusty  dusty  style  of a nineteenth  century  office.  In  contrast Robin defended new ways of writing about policies, causing  the Conservative  members to blink in  surprise.

His  calm  confidence extended  outwards, enabling  us  all  to  do  more  than  we  could  have  imagined  was  possible.  His  great  skill lay  in extending hegemonic  power  to  others  in  a cooperative  spirit.

He  even  affected  the  Conservative  councillors  who  were  meant  to  be  in  opposition.  In 1986  when  Margaret  Thatcher’s  government  finally  managed  to  abolish  us, they  thanked  us  profusely  for  all our  work!

Regardless of  Thatcher’s political vandalism, the  friendships formed  could  not  be  abolished.  Robin  was  a lodestone and  a lodestar  for  me and I  miss  him.

Peoples Plan Centre: grassroots planners for Docklands funded by the GLC

Newham Unemployed Centre funded by Industry and Employment, GLC

A group of women who campaigned to keep their public wash house open in the mid 1970s eventually formed a community laundrette under the Westway. This was funded by the Industry and Employment team at the GLC and eventually the Greater London Enterprise Board introduced Combined Heat and Power to reduce the energy used in the driers. The women using it did the washing for the nursery next door which was funded by the GLC Women’s Committee.

Workplace Nursery funded by Industry and Employment, GLC

Brent Black Music Training project funded by Industry and Employment, GLC

Sheila Rowbotham, co-editor with John Hoyland, Jobs for a Change newspaper, GLC 1986