Hamilton saved Equity

Published Monday 4 August 2008 at 12:05

I’ve know Harry Landis for years, long before he became a hard-working Equity president. I was even directed by him in two World Wars - Journey’s End and The Long, the Short and the Tall - and can assure you that his work as a director is every bit as good as his long, successful years as an actor.

On the front page in last week’s Stage (July 24) however, following the results of the presidential election, he mentions a couple of people calling him, worrying that new president Graham Hamilton may not have a high enough profile in the business.

It is perhaps true that Harry’s CV may contain more high profile work than Graham’s - though Graham’s work in West End musicals for example might be envied by some of our members - but is high profile work altogether necessary for the position of Equity president?

Harry also mentions Graham’s efficiency with rule books. It was Graham’s efficiency with rule books which, in my own humble opinion, saved Equity from possible extinction, or at least dissolving into an ineffectual professional association. Those of us of a certain age remember, all those years ago, those long, excruciating days at AGMs with the far left putting Equity way down the list of their political priorities and the Act for Equity group on the ruling council grossly over-reacting and automatically putting any opposition in the same revolutionary category. This led to ten long, stifling years where that ruling group hid behind council doors and did not engage in any kind of debate with the membership, whether they were active or not. Branches were not recognised and most AGM motions and propositions from the minority on the Equity Council which seeked to alter the status quo were met with the same response - “Not in the best interests of the membership”. That was the limit of their accountability.

Then we had a simple solution and it initially came from the chair of the Rules Revision Committee - Graham Hamilton. Instead of fighting over the old political grounds, give the membership the chance to judge for themselves and participate - the Representative Conference. A decision-making body, meeting every year, dealing only in Equity matters and motions with a two-thirds majority binding on the council. General branches were recognised (and are still growing) and along with Variety Branches and Area and Specialist Committees, their combined representative numbers at the conference now outnumbers the council. AGMs now take place not just in London but in the regions and members can now find out what is going on and participate through their branches. Many activists on the old left and right are now working together and although political differences are still here, at least they’re healthy and in the open.

Both Harry and myself were with the Representative Group when it first began. We shared the same broad aims of opening the union up, but with the strict observance that separate decisions at council meetings were personal ones. We were not a political party and Equity itself remained non-party political.

Whether we have a new president with a high enough professional profile is debatable, but what about the high profile of Equity itself? Both on and off council over the years - and particularly as an Equity delegate to the TUC some years ago - I’ve been made aware that Equity is now a very well respected organisation. And it was Graham Hamilton who gave it a kick-start all those years ago. With respect to Harry and other past presidents - that’s high profile enough for me.

William Maxwell

Firsby Road

London N16