I first met Graham when he joined the NATFHE committee at the college, first Kilburn Poly, later the College of NW London. We were an extraordinary bunch of people who were almost all way to the left and led the branch on a number of exemplary issues: supporting flat –rate rather than proportionate pay increases, supporting Troops out of Ireland demonstrations and regularly taking an anti-racist stand. We campaigned for a head of Department who ‘joked’ about black students being like black dogs to lose his job and for a black lecturer, who had exposed police cadet racism and was threatened with dismissal,not to lose his .
Graham had solidarity baked into his bones. His was the voice of both reason and compassion throughout and in sometimes fiery meetings could be relied upon to be both incisive and to offer calm .
I was delighted when he later reappeared at our Retired branch.
All of us who knew him or who came across him for the first time in this branch deeply regret his death and send our solidarity to his partner, Ross.
Merilyn Moos
Graham Scott, who was a UCU/NATFHE activist in Kilburn College and
then in the College of NW London, has died recently. He was also a
London Retired Members’ branch member. This is a brief obituary
that I wrote for him, could it be noted at the AGM please?
My experience of Graham was that he was one of the most humane,
friendly, unprejudiced and humane men that I have ever met. I worked
with him as Secretary of Kilburn College NATFHE branch. whilst he was
Chair; we were under pressure from management and from union
bureaucrats and collaborators over the issue of being forced onto new
contracts. Ultimately the branch lost, but Graham’s determination was
a major reason why it put up a sustained struggle. Graham stuck to a
democratic and socialist politics throughout. My life, and that of
many others, has been enriched by knowing Graham as a friend, comrade
and colleague.
Pete Murry