Gordon McMaster

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Gordon James McMaster (13 February 1960 – 28 July 1997) was a Scottish politician.

Born in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, he was elected as Labour Member of Parliament for Paisley South at a by-election in 1990, following the death of Norman Buchan, and retained the seat until his own death in 1997. McMaster had previously been leader of Renfrew District Council. He served as an opposition whip in opposition but was dismissed when his health broke down. McMaster began to suffer chronic fatigue which he ascribed to the effects of organophosphate chemicals which he used in his previous career as a horticulturalist; he also began drinking heavily.

When the Labour Party came into power following the 1997 general election, McMaster was not offered a government post and his drinking became even more severe. He committed suicide through inhaling car exhaust fumes in his garage, leaving behind a note in which he accused two fellow Labour MPs, Donald Dixon and Tommy Graham, of having made his life difficult. Most commentators understood this as implying that McMaster was accusing them of spreading rumours of his homosexuality. It was later claimed McMaster had an illicit gay affair with Scott Anderson, a 16 year old Labour Party member who worked for Tommy Graham at the time. In 1997, the age of consent for gay sex was 18 and McMaster ran the risk of being charged with statutory rape. Anderson has never spoken publicly about the alleged affair. McMaster committed suicide the day before Anderson's 17th birthday.

[edit] External links

• News report about his suicide from The Scotsman
• Obituary from The Scotsman

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Norman Buchan	Member of Parliament for Paisley South 1990–1997	Succeeded by Douglas Alexander