LETTERS Race relations industry
Sir: It was, I think, Mr Michael Ivens who coined the expression left-wing entre- preneur', and it is this which springs to mind when contemplating the Institute of Race Relations, so ingeniously defended by Miss Frances Webber and others (Let- ters, 30 August and 6 September), whose apologia is more interesting for its omis- sions than its explanations. Miss Webber asserts that the Institute opposes the race relations industry.
On 28 October 1985 IRR's director, Mr Sivanandan, wrote to Mr Livingstone seek- ing GLC funding 'after abolition'. He suggested they formulate `an arrangement under which the IRR would act as co- ordinator for research and campaigning by other groups'. The amount ultimately to have been handed to the Institute was £848,379; only the House of Lords' judg- ment against 'forward funding' stopped payment of that money.
Mr Sivanandan's letter named seven groups with which the IRR had developed close links: Public Order Research Group, Libertarian Research & Education Trust, Campaign Against Racism & Fascism, Searchlight magazine, African Refugee Housing Action Group, Christians Against Racism & Fascism and the Refugee Forum.
Exploring IRR's establishment one dis- covers the links: Lee Bridges, a former IRR Council member, works for the Insti- tute's Police/Media Monitoring Project (GLC-funded) and is a trustee of Liberta- rian Research & Education Trust (LRET) whose project to monitor Neighbourhood Watch Schemes was similarly GLC- funded. LRET shares its offices with Pub- lic Order Research group (GLC-funded).
Mr Tony Bunyan, an IRR Council mem- ber of long standing was, at abolition, head of the GLC's Police Committee Support Unit, and officers in the unit would have written the reports upon which the deci- sions to award those grants were made.
Other IRR Council members include: Mr Ronnie Moodley, who runs the African Refugee Housing Action Group (GLC- funded) and is chairman of Refugee Forum; Mr David Edgar (Letters, 6 September), an ex-employee of Searchlight (GLC-funded and still occupying GLC property at a peppercorn rent); Mrs Nancy Murry, who ran the Campaign Against Racism and Fascism's Media Project (GLC-funded); Miss Webber herself, who is a member of the Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers whose racism project was GLC-funded (the Society is the British affiliate of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers, commonly held to be a Soviet front organisation); Miss Hilary Arnott, who is joint editor of the magazine of the Child Poverty Action Group (GLC- funded); and Mr Herman Ousley, who after leaving the GLC, is employed at public expense by Lambeth Council as a Race Relations Officer. Christians Against Racism & Fascism were also GLC-funded.
To be fair, the IRR does acknowledge sources of funds other than the GLC (now replaced by the London Boroughs Grants Unit), for example, the Transnational In- stitute (TNI) in Amsterdam. But the IRR exhibits surprising eclecticism in its choice of financiers, admitting, as it does, the contribution from Barclays Bank to its Library and Building Fund!
Thom Robinson
Director, Campaign Against Council Corruption, 35 Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1
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