It is with great sadness that we heard the news of the sudden death of Al
Richardson. Not only was Al personally a colourful figure, he was an honest
revolutionary who gave his time freely to the revolutionary cause of the working
class. Above all, a modest man, he dedicated himself to preserving the
revolutionary traditions of Trotskyism in the journal he helped to found along
with Sam Bornstein, Revolutionary History. He and Sam were the first to publish
a serious account of the History of British Trotskyism, which helped establish
the historical record.
While we had our political differences, Al was always there to help and
advise. Above all, he was always prepared to put himself out and made you feel
welcome. In particular he maintained the archives of Revolutionary History,
which he made freely available to those interested in Trotskyism. These
resources proved indispensable in the production of Ted Grant’s book on the
history of British Trotskyism, which Al read over before its publication and
made a number of valued suggestions. At its launch meeting last year, he made an
intervention from the floor which paid due tribute to Ted and the pioneers of
the tendency.
The editors of In Defence of Marxism and Socialist Appeal would like to
extend our appreciation to the work of Al Richardson over the years and extend
our condolences to his family and friends. He will be greatly missed.
Rob Sewell
November 27, 2003.
Al Richardson’s Funeral will be at 2.30-3.30pm on Wednesday, December 3,
at Mortlake Crematorium, London. This is on the A205 (South Circular Rd) where
it crosses the Chertsey Rd. The nearest tube station is Kew Gardens, (about a
quarter of a mile) on the District line and the nearest main line station is
Richmond.
