Remembering Ron Marsden (1937-2026)

We’re sad to report the death of Ron Marsden on 21st August 2026. Ron was born in Preston and joined the anarchist movement after being involved with the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND). ‘He joined the Syndicalist Workers Federation (SWF) in 1963/1964 and moved to Manchester to be active in the Manchester Anarchist Group there, attempting, along with the late Alan Barlow, to win it over completely to class struggle anarchism. […] He and his first wife Jan were active in the Anarchist Federation of Britain in the late 1960s, regularly attending its conferences. Shortly after I joined the Organisation of Revolutionary Anarchists (ORA) in 1972, Ron decided to join with a few other Manchester comrades, but it was to prove to be only for a short time as he soon returned to the SWF. But the SWF was going through hard times, with only the Manchester branch in existence at the end of the 1970s. Ron was also active in the Libertarian Industrial Network (LIN), in which anarchists active in their workplaces attempted to liaise.’[1]

The tributes we’ve read talk about his long track record as an anarcho-syndicalist in the Syndicalist Workers’ Federation, Direct Action Movement and Solidarity Federation. They also emphasise how approachable he was: ‘the Ron I knew was a kind militant anarchist till his late age and an inspiration for younger members that were fortunate to have known him. He really never stopped fighting for what he believed in.’[2] Mikey Dredd wrote ‘I met Ron when I first joined SolFed many years ago, he was a solid comrade who could talk for hours, the joke was never ask him a question as you won’t get away for the rest of the day.  He was a friendly, supportive comrade who cared deeply about everyone, his campaigning on the issue of asbestos was never ending, he will be sorely missed.’[3] His comrades from the Solidarity Federation paid tribute to his wide range of interests and ‘his early acceptance of LGBTQ+ identities (often going to bars in Manchester’s Gay Village after meetings with younger members), awareness of racial discrimination and ability to connect with a diverse set of libertarians’.[4] He brought humour to anarchist propaganda: ‘He was the author of the legendary Heinz-spoof on Lenin and authoritarian communism, “57 varieties – all unfit for human consumption” on what could have been a tin of baked beans. […] Politics and gentle satire merged in his opposition to religious fundamentalism and his cartoons depicting a rodent decrying religious intolerance (“Blasphemouse”) always raised a smile and occasionally an eyebrow as the reader tried to disentangle their cryptic nature.’[5]

Dreyfus’ tribute gives a snapshot – but a wide-angled one – of his what Ron was like: ‘He was kind and solid. He cared about people. When Bob died, he rang me twice a week every week. He lost a son to cystic fibrosis. He had a rescue greyhound who used to break into the fridge. He was a mensch. He always turned up looking clean and smart in light shirts and a bomber jacket. He wasn’t afraid to get stuck in when it was needed…I miss him.’[6]

The comrades at Nottingham’s Sparrows’ Nest (one of the best and busiest anarchist and radical archives) said: ‘We will miss our phone chats with Ron, and our annual cups of tea, enjoyed whenever we drove up to Manchester to collect yet another load of bags, baskets, of tea chests, all filled to the brim with amazing materials from his house. We will fondly remember him humming to himself as he helped dragging bag after bag towards the van, which always turned out to be filled with incredible treasures from all over the world (and lots of drawings of Blasphemouse, Ron’s cartoon creation!). […] Ron was at all times kind, generous and supportive to us, and it was a true pleasure to have known him. His legacy will not only be the memories many of us have of him, but also his collection of materials, many of which we have the great pleasure of looking after. […] Ron’s trust in us, especially in the early days of the Nest, was absolutely crucial for us to be able to develop into a serious archive, and working and hanging out with him was a true privilege.’[7]

Our condolences go out to Ron’s family, friends and comrades.

Notes
1, A comrade from the Anarchist Communist Group (ACG) in their tribute https://www.anarchistcommunism.org/2026/08/25/ron-marsden-a-veteran-of-class-struggle-anarchism-in-the-uk-has-died/ 
2, Another ACG member in that tribute.
3, Mikey Dredd in the tribute from the AnarCom Network (ACN) at https://anarcomuk.uk/2026/08/23/anarcom-is-sad-to-hear-of-the-loss-of-uk-solidarity-federation-iwa-comrade-ron-marsden-a-few-days-ago/ 
4, http://solfed.org.uk/ron-marsden  
5, from the Solidarity Federation (SolFed) tribute.
6, Dreyfus in the tribute from the AnarCom Network (ACN)
7, Sparrows’ Nest Library and Archive update, August 2026 https://thesparrowsnest.org.uk/index.php/14-news-and-events/296-nest-update-aug-2026 For material Ron donated to the Sparrows’ Nest see https://thesparrowsnest.org.uk/search.php?query=ron+m&logic=and&digital=0&digital=0