 | 'I have admitted that in the past, I was a supporter of some of the ideas put forward by Militant but that was many years ago.' Labour leader of Renfrewshire Council, Hugh Henry. |  |
| 'I have admitted that in the past, I was a supporter of some of the ideas put forward by Militant but that was many years ago.' Labour leader of Renfrewshire Council, Hugh Henry. | |
But the sympathetic words which will be voiced about Mr McMaster and his death will be overshadowed by the growing turmoil that threatens to engulf Labour, both inside and outwith the council chamber, in its biggest crisis for many years.
The tributes, which opposing political parties will be invited to make at the council's monthly meeting - the first since the MP's death towards the end of last month - will hardly be over when recriminations about suspensions ordered by Labour this week will surface publicly in the council chambers.
Scottish National Party councillors, embroiled in a long-running and bitter battle with the council's Labour administration, will call for the resignation of Harry Revie, a Labour councillor, from his post as convener of the property and construction services committee.
Mr Revie represents the Ferguslie Park ward and was a director and chairman of the board of the now defunct FCB Enterprise (Security Ltd), the publicly funded company which has been consistently at the centre of the political controversy in Renfrewshire.
He was one of two prominent party members who were suspended by the party on Tuesday, along with Tommy Graham, the Renfrewshire West MP, who was named by Mr McMaster in his suicide note.
Mr Graham is now to be the subject of a full inquiry into allegations of links with Paul Mack, another Renfrewshire councillor who was formerly a member of the Labour group but is now an independent.
Bruce McFee, the SNP group leader, said he would be submitting an emergency motion calling on the council to declare it has no confidence in Mr Revie's ability to carry out his responsibilities properly as committee convener. He wants the council to remove him from that post "with immediate effect".
The leader of the council Labour group, Hugh Henry, said last night: "I regret that on the day the council wishes to pay tribute to the work of Gordon McMaster that the SNP is intending to play petty party politics. The Labour Party has acted decisively. Mr Revie has not been accused of any impropriety and he is innocent until proven guilty. The SNP should substantiate any accusations so that these can be answered."
Mr Henry denies that the suspension of Mr Revie could result in Labour losing its tenuous control of the council. The Labour group is officially made up of 20 members, the same number as the total strength of the opposition groups, led by the SNP with 13 members.
Mr Henry said: "Harry Revie is still a Labour Party member who has pledged his full support to the Labour administration. He remains a Labour Party member."
Mr Revie, whose suspension comes at a time when a police investigation is being carried out into the FCB security company, is one of the Labour figures who has been involved in Renfrewshire party politics for a number of years.
He tried to win the nomination for the Paisley North seat in 1990 after the death of Allen Adams. The nomination was won by Mr Adams's wife, Irene, whose selection angered some. Her by-election victory followed an acrimonious campaign.
Mr Revie became the election agent for Tommy Graham. Mrs Adams was later involved in a controversial "clean up" campaign centring on allegations that FCB was being infiltrated by local criminals, allegations which further split the party.
Even before the rows which came to a head in 1990, Mr McMaster, who was elected to Paisley South, is said to have been troubled by a whispering campaign. After his election to the council in 1984, he became Labour group leader in 1988, a post he held for two years.
Jim Mitchell, depute leader of the council SNP group, said yesterday that he had been asked by Mr McMaster as long ago as 1989 if he had heard rumours circulating about his sexuality.
Olga Clayton is a former Renfrewshire councillor who has also been drawn into the present controversy. She was a district councillor for Ferguslie Park until 1995 when she stood down and was replaced by Mr Revie, who had been a member of the former Strathclyde Regional Council. Labour sources suggest she was "bumped".
Ms Clayton has been suspended from the party while the inquiry is being carried out. One of her political opponents said yesterday it was possible she had been unfairly dragged into the affair. "If there's anyone who is not fully implicated in all of this it is possibly Olga Clayton."
Renfrewshire's Labour group has been dogged by suspensions and controversies for several years going back into the history of the former Renfrew District Council which existed before the local government shake-up of two years ago.
Paul Mack, a close associate and friend of Tommy Graham, helped Mr Graham to win the selection for the redrawn Renfrew West and Inverclyde seat which he won in 1987.
Mr Mack became deputy leader of the council Labour group but was suspended from the party for illegally standing for election as a Labour candidate in the new council elections in 1995. Since then, he has consistently supported the SNP group and has been a thorn in Labour's flesh.
He has strongly backed SNP allegations that Labour in Renfrew is anti-democratic. Mr Mack has voiced various criticisms and allegations about Labour councillors.
Last year, the police were frequently called to the council chambers in a headquarters dubbed Fortress Renfrewshire.
The intervention of police was the result of clashes between the Labour administration and the SNP which claims its attempts to challenge issues were continually stifled as a result of Labour refusing to allow SNP councillors to raise points of order. Mr Mack has been escorted from the council chamber by police for refusing to back down.
Another Labour councillor who is already under suspension by the party HQ is Richard Manser. In spite of that ruling, he operates as a member of the Labour group and is deputy convener of education. The SNP is about to put pressure on Labour to admit that Mr Manser, like Mr Revie, should not be a member of the group.
Mr Mitchell said yesterday that Mr Manser and Mr Henry should be rooted out by "new" Labour if it was to demonstrate that "old Labour" was no longer in charge of Renfrewshire.
Mr Henry said: "I have admitted that in the past, I was a supporter of some of the ideas put forward by Militant but that was many years ago. The Labour Party is aware of my political activities and I think the main issue is the fact that I am now doing a job on behalf of the Labour Party and the people of Renfrewshire."
Mr Henry praised Mr Manser, saying he was still a member of the party, though suspended pending an inquiry into matters connected with selection procedures. "For the last two years, Richard Manser has been a very valuable member of the Labour administration in Renfrewshire and has been a credit to the politics of the area."
Jim Taylor, another party member, who is not a councillor, is also under suspension. The Paisley North activist is said to have been involved in attempts to ensure Mr Mack was elected a councillor in Renfrewshire by withdrawing his own nomination as official candidate hours before the closing deadline.
One prominent Labour councillor claimed Renfrewshire was suffering from a "web of intrigue" in which Mr Mack was the "common denominator". He insisted Labour was taking all possible steps to put its house in order. Mr Mack this week accused supporters of Irene Adams of conducting a "dirty tricks" campaign against him.
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