Funeral for former Council vice-convenor 28/7/09
A huge crowd attended the funeral of former Western Isles Council vice-convenor Angus Graham today.
Mr Graham died aged 60 on Thursday after recent years of ill health. The service was held in Back Free Church and around 450 men lined the cortege to Gress Cemetery with a group of current and former councillors taking the first lift.
Mr Graham was born in Glasgow from Highland parents. He spent the early years of his childhood in Govan but his mother died when he was young. He later was brought up on his paternal grandparents’ croft in Back, Lewis.
He was in the Glasgow Police force for a period and as well as being a Kishorn Commando he worked in other oil rig construction camps at Sullom Voe, Shetland and in Arnish, Stornoway.
Mr Graham was also employed as a local fisherman and tried Harris Tweed weaving for a spell.
He entered local politics when elected onto the council in 1983. For the next 24 years he represented the Gress ward only retiring last year. He became chairman of Development Services in 1986 and was elected vice-convener from 1994 to 1999. In that latter year he was elected Transportation Chair.
Mr Graham was a staunch supporter of Old Labour who grew sadden and disillusioned with the direction New Labour adopted.
A shrewd political animal, he frequently rocked the boat to achieve the various causes - often social wrongs - he passionately defended. He had little time for dithering colleagues who sat on the fence and was never frightened to condemn weak strategy and bad decisions.
His political foes, inside and outwith the council, were infuriated at his frequent presence in the press which was equally to do with their reluctance to seize the advantage to say their piece as with his courteous acceptance of the opportunity to do so.
Mr Graham was probably one of the best MPs / MSPs the Western Isles never had. The party machine churned against him when he threw his hat in the ring as a potential Labour candidate for the first Scottish Parliament. The social justice reformer may have been too much for them to handle - untameable and guaranteed not to come to heel.
The former Labour administration felt his wrath when he took them head on over the local health board controversy. In partnership with fellow councillor Angus McCormack, the end result was the forced intervention of then health minister Andy Kerr and the departure of top bosses.
In an eulogy today, his friend and council colleague Donald John Macsween spoke of how Mr Graham often quoted the Serenity Prayer: "God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things that should be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other."
Mr Macsween recalled the cut and thrust of political life with "conspiracies in dark, smoke-filled rooms" with Mr Graham.
He said that Mr Graham was a master of knowledge of the council's protocol and rules and frequently broke them - without challenge - to achieve a worthwhile result.
Mr Graham leaves a wife Isobel, daughter Avril and sons Michael and Alasdair.
