Greatrex facing pressure to stand down as candidate

Apr 29 2010 By Douglas Dickie

LABOUR’S candidate for Rutherglen and Hamilton West was this week facing pressure to stand down.

Tom Greatrex was named in a newspaper article concerning a high-level probe into the leaking of information about the Queen’s Balmoral Estate.

The probe by Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O’Donnell followed publication in January of letters between UK Government minister for security and counter-terrorism, David Hanson, and Scottish Government Environment Minister Roseanna Cunningham.

In the letters, Ms Cunningham calls for two paths on the Balmoral Estate to be opened to tourists.

The proposal sparked outrage, with security chiefs saying it would put members of the Royal Family at risk.

Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop has now told MSPs that an investigation had found the leak was not from a Scottish Government civil servant.

And Whitehall sources say the leak was traced back to the offices of Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy.

Mr Greatrex was working there as an aide at the time.

Mr Murphy has since denied any involvement.

The Reformer yesterday tried repeatedly to contact Mr Greatrex to speak to him about the newspaper report but his phone was switched off. We also contacted his election agent Richard Tullet who failed to return our calls.

SNP candidate in Rutherglen and Hamilton West Graeme Horne said if his Labour rival was responsible for the leak, he should stand down as a candidate.

SNP Election campaign coordinator Stewart Hosie said: "This is an extremely serious issue."

A spokesman for the Labour Party said it was a matter for the Cabinet Office.

A spokesman for the Cabinet Office said: "We do not comment on leak investigations."

Mr Greatrex is one of five candidates bidding to succeed Tommy McAvoy as the MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West.

Mr Greatrex, who is 35, was born in Kent and lived in Ashford and Cambridge before moving to Scotland six years ago and settling in Cambuslang two years ago.

He spent a year as advisor to the Chief Whip at Westminster and has worked for East Dunbartonshire and the NHS since moving to Scotland.

He is married to Laura and has four-month-old twins.

He was the overwhelming choice to succeed Tommy McAvoy as Labour candidate. Mr McAvoy stood down after 23 years as an MP.

Liberal-Democrat Ian Robertson, Conservative Malcolm Macaskill and Janice Murdoch, of UKIP, are also candidates in the constituency.