Tommy Graham

Thomas Graham, known as Tommy Graham, (born 5 December 1943) is a Scottish former Labour Party politician.

Graham is a Glaswegian, and worked as an engineer before serving on Strathclyde Regional Council from 1978 to 1987.

Graham was elected in 1987 as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Renfrew West and Inverclyde, defeating the Conservative incumbent Anna McCurley. After favourable boundary changes in 1997, he was elected MP for Renfrewshire West.

Following the suicide of his parliamentary colleague Gordon McMaster in July 1997, a long investigation was launched since, in his suicide note McMaster had accused Graham of smearing him that he had a homosexual affair with a 17 year old party colleague who worked for Graham at the time. In September 1998, Graham was expelled from the Labour Party for 'bringing the party into disrepute', despite his categorical denials of any wrongdoing. He became an independent and described himself as a 'Scottish Labour' MP.

After his expulsion when Graham was asked where he would be sitting in the House of Commons, he replied, 'On my bum.' In fact, he actually sat on the opposition benches of the Commons but continued to vote with the government on many issues.

It was thought that Tommy Graham would stand again at the 2001 election, but he did not do so and quietly retired. His successor was Labour's James Sheridan.

References

* [http://politics.guardian.co.uk/person/0,,-2022,00.html Guardian bio]
* [http://www.alba.org.uk/paisleysouth/smears21.html ALBA.org]
* [http://www.wsws.org/news/1998/sep1998/scot-s17.shtml WSWS]