The Herald ran a big interview with Robin this morning (part 1, part 2), in which he says why he's not standing again for co-convenor, and why he doesn't intend to run again for Holyrood in 2011. I joined the party ten years ago this month, and Robin has been at the heart of the Scottish Green Party much longer than that.
Everyone who was in the party during the dark days which followed the false dawn in 1989 tells me Robin was the glue that held the party together, in terms of energy, drive, and finances. I am absolutely convinced that both the party's hard work and his extraordinarily broad personal vote were essential to the breakthrough in 1999.
Even though he's not going anywhere, really, this is still a pretty emotional day. Thank you, Robin, for all of it.
It is a sad day for the Green Party and Scottish Politics in general. Robin is a nice guy.
Robin has done a huge amount for the Party and this really does represent an end of an era. The past ten years has seen environmental issues become centre-stage here and around the world and Robin has been part of that.
I'm pleased he'll be sticking around the Parliament for a few more years.
Yes indeed. Although the party is in much better shape these days with oodles of talent and expertise to draw from, it wasn't always so, and without Robin and a few others to keep the candle burning in the eighties I doubt if we'd be anywhere today. I still remember the giant poster of him on the side of Lothian buses in the '89 Euro elections, all paid for by himself.