John Rentoul

[first published on John Rentoul’s Independent blog]

Norman Geras

Norman Geras, who died today, was a Marxist Blairite, which almost renders political labels redundant. More than that, though, he was mentor to a group of people, of whom I am proud to be a member, who could be called Gerasites. We learned so much from him about how to argue, and about how the internet could raise the quality and scope of political debate. His blogging was tight, clear and polite.

I’ll miss him.

His daughter Jenny writes: The blog and all its archives will remain online.