John Brown Craig
14 August 1954 – 30th July 2006

Lynn Henderson & David Moxham

On Sunday 30th July 2006, a light went out for many socialists and community activists. Our adored comrade and friend John Craig died suddenly, a fortnight before his 52nd birthday. To those who knew John, even a little, knew that he was such a lively (sometimes larger than life) character.

Within days of John’s passing, Vince Mills wrote in the Morning Star “that like many working class people, John Craig died too soon”. And this is true. John, however, lived a full and remarkable life in his 52 years. Born into a large Protestant family in the Gorbals, John grew up at the tail end of Glasgow’s No Mean City reputation. Early family life for John was steeped in the colours of West of Scotland religious apartheid. The love of John’s life was a Catholic girl, whom he married when they were both very young. Both families were determined and succeeded in breaking up the relationship. Thereafter, no one could ever replace John’s first love.

As a teenager in the early 1970s, John served time in Barlinnie for his part in a foiled clothing warehouse robbery. Youthful vanity nipped young John’s criminal career in the bud. Neither John nor any other the other 11 young raiders could resist prancing around Glasgow sporting samples of their catchment of brand new leather jackets. His personal eaely experience of prison life drove John to becoming a committed member of the Children’s Panel in his latter years. John stood up against those calling for ASBOs and teenage curfews. He believed firmly that young people are not inherently bad and that they should be given a chance to be good.

John held many jobs, including barman in a number of local hostelries, night club doorman and car park attendant. Following a number of epileptic fits, John was unable to continue in traditional employment and spent a large part of his adulthood consigned to a life of poverty and the struggle to survive on benefits, of which he wrote about in the Citizen. This downturn in his economic fortunes however led to John’s greatest social contribution - his voluntary work in the Anderston community of Glasgow for which he will be most remembered and most deeply missed by many many people.

Managing a voluntary welfare rights centre in Argyle Street, John was single-handed responsible for bringing hundreds of thousands of pounds in unclaimed benefits and miscalculations into the hands of poor people in the community. As well as providing invaluable assistance to the community in which he lived, John was also an active participant in community politics. John served for many years as an enthusiastic and engaged member of the local community council, the anti-poll tax union, the Labour Party, the housing association and church. His role in Anderston stretched from playing Santa Claus at children’s parties, to running the bingo, serving meals and the local tuck-in service for elderly in the community, to leading community campaigns against unpopular plans, developments, cuts.

His politics, were always from the heart, and always socialist. Without fail, you would always find John on the side of the oppressed. John worked voluntarily for George Galloway throughout his time as the local Labour MP. He multitasked in answering calls, running advice surgeries, washing the windows, stuffing envelopes and street campaigning. Whatever was needing done, John would give his time unselfishly.

George moved on, but until the day he died, John continued that daily voluntary commitment in helping local Labour MSP Pauline McNeill in her constituency office. A stream of constituents came to see John to help fill out a form, or phone up a credit card company, or sort out their pension. Anderston councillor Alex Mosson could always rely on John to assist with his surgeries and speak up for him in community meetings.

Until the late 1990s, John’s only trip abroad had been a single visit to his brother in British army quarters in Germany. By the new millennium, John was to clock up 10,000 kilometres through Europe and North African terrain on the mercy mission for the people of Iraq. In an article in the Citizen in May 2002 about his epic sanctions-busting journey in a 1962 red Routemaster double decker bus, John wrote “after the longest bus journey of our lives, we deserve a slap up meal and a good sleep. In the morning I ventured outside for some fresh air. Sitting having a fag I suddenly realised where I was. Me, a working class guy from Govan in the city of Baghdad, which I had only ever seen on TV, being bombed.”

The boy from Govan also managed to find himself in a number of other remarkable places over the years. At an antiwar vigils outside the great palaces of Westminster, John befriended security staff in Millbank and Portcullis House enabling protesters to access hot water during the cold of the night. Wearing an 8 foot high peacock costume John danced the samba through Glasgow streets as part of the West End Carnival. Long before the tabloids had heard of the troubles of young Ewan Blair, John assisted into a taxi an inebriated teenager he found staggering around a West London street, who just about managed to give his address as Downing Street. Tony’s boy was lucky it was John he met that evening.

In recognising John’s commitment to her constituents, Pauline McNeill MSP made John her proud guest of honour at the Opening of the Scottish Parliament. Whether in Madrid, Merchant City or Merkland Street, John thrived on the adrenaline and excitement of street campaigning. He was an exemplary street leafletter. People wanted to take a leaflet from John. “There you go, Mrs. Take it hame an’ let yer man read it an’aw” he’d call out. And they’d all smile back at him. John’s tales of ordinary folk and remarkable events often overlapped and sometimes go confused, distorted and dare I say, exaggerated. His favourite lines were “You’ll never guess what!”, usually followed by “I swear to God it true”. And usually it was.

John’s socialist politics were delivered with passion. His contributions and energy will be sorely missed at Anderston-City Labour Party Branch and Glasgow Central CLP. John was never frightened to tell you when he disagreed with you politically, but he never fell out with anyone. He often got people’s names mixed up. In any one meeting, he could call you by several different names and he’d never notice. For over ten years John became a member of our extended family. We saw him almost every day. He helped with the school run, washing the windows, cutting the grass, painting and decorating, feeding the pets, tidying up for visitors coming. He ate with us, made plans with us. Watched TV. Shared good news and bad round the kitchen table. The kettle has boiled for John in our home more than for any other person. We were blessed to have had someone like John in our lives.