Gordon James McMaster (13 February 1960 – 28 July 1997) was a Scottish politician and horticulturist.
Life and career
McMaster was born in
Johnstone
Johnstone ( sco, Johnstoun, gd, Baile Iain) is a town ...
. A horticulturist by training, he was also a lecturer at his alma mater, the Woodburn House Horticultural College. McMaster was very well-liked by his students for his knowledge and charm.
In 1980, McMaster was elected to the Johnstone Community Council, and became its chair in 1982, at the age of 22, making him the youngest chair of any Scottish council. He was elected to the
Renfrew District Council
Renfrew District ( gd, Sgìre Rinn Friù) was one of nineteen local government districts in the Strathclyde region of Scotland, which existed between 1975 and 1996.Paisley South in a
1990 by-election
Year 199 ( CXCIX) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was sometimes known as year 952 '' Ab urbe condita''. The denomination 199 for this year has been used since the ...
, triggered by the death of
Norman Buchan
Norman Findlay Buchan (27 October 1922 – 23 October 1990) was a Labour Party politician, who was on the left-wing of the party, and represented the West Renfrewshire seat from 1964 until 1983 and the Paisley South seat from 1983 until his de ...
. In parliament, he campaigned for the rights of disabled people and against
recreational drug use
Recreational drug use indicates the use of one or more psychoactive drugs to induce an altered state of consciousness either for pleasure or for some other casual purpose or pastime by modifying the perceptions and emotions of the user. When a ...
. He served as an opposition
whip
A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally e ...
.
Death
McMaster committed suicide in the garage of his home in Johnstone on 28 July 1997, at the age of 37. He had been robbed in London shortly before his death. His
suicide note
A suicide note or death note is a message left behind by a person who dies or intends to die by suicide.
A study examining Japanese suicide notes estimated that 25–30% of suicides are accompanied by a note. However, incidence rates may depe ...
named neighbouring MP Tommy Graham as being responsible for smearing him over an alleged homosexual relationship. This was denied by Graham, who was subsequently expelled from the Labour Party.''Gordon McMaster was not my enemy, says suspended MP'', Euan McColm and Peter Macmahon,
The Scotsman
''The Scotsman'' is a Scottish compact newspaper and daily news website headquartered in Edinburgh. First established as a radical political paper in 1817, it began daily publication in 1855 and remained a broadsheet until August 2004. Its par ...