Economist who promoted fair trade and recycling in his quest for more equitable social structures
Robin Murray, who has died aged 76, advocated and implemented new forms of social and economic organisation by applying humanist principles to practical experience. In Britain and internationally he sought to tease out of today’s structures clues for a more equitable tomorrow.
He saw beyond Fordism – industrialised mass production and mass consumption – and neoliberalism, with its emphasis on the private sector and free trade. As chief economic adviser to the Greater London council (1981-86), Robin led a team working for an inclusive, democratic economy. Their London Industrial Strategy involved trade unionists and user groups in economic planning, invested in child care and adult education, developed cultural and creative industries, gave a boost to co-operatives and other social enterprises, and helped set up the London Food Commission, whose work included the study of additives and the effects of food poverty.
Related: Letter: Robin Murray obituary
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