John Ross (socialist)
Encyclopedia
John Ross is a British academic, journalist, blogger, advisor to multinationals and economic commentator who previously was a socialist political activist and worked as an economic advisor to Ken Livingstone
when he was Mayor of London. He writes regularly for China Daily
, Shanghai Daily
, and China.org.cn. He is author of the book Thatcher and Friends - the Anatomy of the Tory Party (1983).
. He leads research there on China and the international financial crisis, and on globalisation.
In Livingstone’s first administration Ross was given a variety of roles. He was responsible for:
He wrote the journal article "Management Philosophy of the Greater London Authority".
(IMG) in the late 1960s. He rapidly rose to a prominent position in the IMG, working with Pennington to form the IMG Opposition Group. Ross developed the idea that the organisation should aim to explain the political situation to workers without making calls to action. In the mid-1970s, the Opposition Group gained a majority of the IMG, and used it to promote a new strategy calling for a general strike
. The leadership became increasingly associated with Ross as it became known as Socialist Action
.
Ross was leader of one of three groups which emerged out of the crisis of Socialist Action in the mid-1980s. They increasingly ceased to function as a normal left-wing group and became a group of advisors to Livingstone.
Ken Livingstone
Kenneth Robert "Ken" Livingstone is an English politician who is currently a member of the centrist to centre-left Labour Party...
when he was Mayor of London. He writes regularly for China Daily
China Daily
The China Daily is an English language daily newspaper published in the People's Republic of China.- Overview :China Daily was established in June 1981 and has the widest print circulation of any English-language newspaper in the country...
, Shanghai Daily
Shanghai Daily
Shanghai Daily is an English-language newspaper in China started in October 1999 and owned by Wenhui-xinmin United Press Group. Its primary audience is visiting foreigners, mainly overseas investors and tourists to Shanghai, though many Chinese students read it to improve their English...
, and China.org.cn. He is author of the book Thatcher and Friends - the Anatomy of the Tory Party (1983).
Visiting professor in China
He is at present a visiting professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityShanghai Jiao Tong University
Shanghai Jiao Tong University or SJTU), sometimes referred to as Shanghai Jiaotong University , is a top public research university located in Shanghai, China. Shanghai Jiao Tong University is known as one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in China...
. He leads research there on China and the international financial crisis, and on globalisation.
Work for the Mayor of London
From 2000 to 2008, John Ross was Ken Livingstone's Policy Director of Economic and Business Policy.In Livingstone’s first administration Ross was given a variety of roles. He was responsible for:
- the economic policy for London
- being the main point of contact with the business community
- the CrossrailCrossrailCrossrail is a project to build a major new railway link under central London. The name refers to the first of two routes which are the responsibility of Crossrail Ltd. It is based on an entirely new east-west tunnel with a central section from to Liverpool Street station...
project; the economic and business parts of the London PlanLondon PlanThe London Plan is a planning document written by the Mayor of London, England in the United Kingdom and published by the Greater London Authority. The plan was first published in final form on 10 February 2004 and has since been amended. The current version was published in February 2008... - for London’s tourism recovery package after the Iraq war slump in tourism
- attending the Board of the London Development AgencyLondon Development AgencyThe London Development Agency is the Regional Development Agency for Greater London, England. It is a functional body of the Greater London Authority...
as the representative of the Mayor.
He wrote the journal article "Management Philosophy of the Greater London Authority".
Politics
Ross was convinced by Bob Pennington to join the Trotskyist International Marxist GroupInternational Marxist Group
The International Marxist Group was a Trotskyist group in Britain between 1968 and 1982. It was the British Section of the Fourth International. It and its youth organisation had had around 1,000 members and supporters in the late 1970s...
(IMG) in the late 1960s. He rapidly rose to a prominent position in the IMG, working with Pennington to form the IMG Opposition Group. Ross developed the idea that the organisation should aim to explain the political situation to workers without making calls to action. In the mid-1970s, the Opposition Group gained a majority of the IMG, and used it to promote a new strategy calling for a general strike
General strike
A general strike is a strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city, region, or country. While a general strike can be for political goals, economic goals, or both, it tends to gain its momentum from the ideological or class sympathies of the participants...
. The leadership became increasingly associated with Ross as it became known as Socialist Action
Socialist Action (UK)
Socialist Action is a small Trotskyist group in the United Kingdom. From the mid-1980s Socialist Action became an entryist organisation, attempting to take over other organisations, with members using code names and not revealing their affiliation....
.
Ross was leader of one of three groups which emerged out of the crisis of Socialist Action in the mid-1980s. They increasingly ceased to function as a normal left-wing group and became a group of advisors to Livingstone.
External links
- Key Trends in Globalisation - John Ross' blog