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Tommy Brennan MBE (20 August 1932 – 27 January 2022) was a Scottish trade unionist and political activist. A member of the Labour Party,[1] Brennan was widely known for being the convenor of shop stewards at Ravenscraig steelworks. He led the fight to save the Scottish steel industry in the 1980s and 1990s,[2] until he was made redundant in 1991, shortly before Ravenscraig's infamous closure.[3] He worked at the plant for a total of 31 years.[4][5]
Brennan was born in Carfin, Lanarkshire on 20 August 1932, as the middle of three brothers.[6] He received an MBE in the 1991 New Year Honours.[7][8]
When asked in 2013 to comment on the death of Margaret Thatcher, who had been accused of betraying steel workers in government,[9] Brennan said: "I have a simple philosophy in life that if you look at every bad situation you may find a little plus there. The one plus I could find about Thatcher was that she brought salmon back to the Clyde – she closed all the industry on either side of it so they couldn't pollute it."[10]
Brennan latterly re-emerged as a proponent of Scottish independence, ahead of the country's referendum.[11]
Brennan died on 27 January 2022, at the age of 89.[6]
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