Goodbye Comrade Malcy

Its funny how this world of ours has a habit of taking a high moment and then kicking you in the guts. That’s how I felt on Monday afternoon when I found out about the sudden death of Malcolm Campbell. Malcolm was the long-standing Branch Secretary of Croydon UNISON, member of the Regional Committee, London’s Rep on the Conference (LG) Standing Orders committee. He was a dedicated and princcipled Trade Unionist who never compromised in his beliefs and he is a massive loss to our movement. He had so much more to give and was only 56 years old. Having taken a few days to get my head round it I wanted to remember him

To me, and many others Malcolm wasn’t just a Trade Unionist however, he was a friend and someone we looked up to. This job we do can be a thankless task sometimes. In that field people who understand and make time to support eachother are at a premium, Malcolm was such a person. He had been a long standing Branch Secretary when I took over Haringey and was always willing to take the time to offer advice when asked but also to ensure you didn’t think he was telling you what was right to do. That is something I shall miss enormously.

Death at any time is sudden but this was completely out of the blue, after having had a heart attack a few years back Malc had recuperated rested and then thrown himself back into his passions of UNISON, the Trades Council, Music and Football (I’ll even forgive him his choice of team Chelsea!) I saw him for the last time only on Friday when we were planning both for UNISON’s Local Government Conference and our annual trips to our other shared passion of the Folk Festivals.

Malcolm managed to balance his endless commitment to UNISON with his other loves. He loved nothing more than going here http://www.fairportconvention.com/cropredy.php and having been with him it often felt he knew the whole crowd in person. He camped with a group of friends and their families all of whom shall miss his so much as well certainly when we sing this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvtdF0z69io in the Summer year we shall think of him as we all stood together last year arm in arm to remember those that were no longer with us.

He will also doubtless be missed by his many friends at Chelsea and in his local down in Sutton http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs/s/12/12043/Little_Windsor/Sutton. Where he shared many a laugh and enjoyed good company and good beer.

Most of all however my thoughts are with his partner Jane and his family, at this time of this tragic loss. There are many others who were touched by Malcolm and I know there were a lot of shocked and devastated UNISON activists around London and beyond as well as colleagues who are employed by the Union.

Goodbye Malcolm we shall all miss you, I shall remember you in so many different places this year: The Conference Hall, Cropredy, Tolpuddle, amongst them. It was a privilege to call you a friend and comrade