Thomas Docherty

In early 2005, Docherty was part of an "all-PR" shortlist to become Labour candidate for the constituency of Copeland, which includes BNFL's Sellafield plant. The constituency was previously held by Jack Cunningham, a longstanding advocate of nuclear power. The other people on the shortlist were ^{[1] (http://www.nuclearspin.org/index.php/Thomas_Docherty#endnote_prweek)}:

• Jamie Reed, at the time a BNFL press officer,
• Stuart Bruce of Bruce Marshall Associates, and
• Tim Walker, a Bell Pottinger board director and former special adviser to Cunningham.

Reed was selected, and held the seat for Labour. Reporting the story shortly after the election, PR Week wryly observed: "What this can mean for the re-elected Labour government's commitment to pump billions into a raft of new nuclear power stations, we couldn't possibly say." ^{[2] (http://www.nuclearspin.org/index.php/Thomas_Docherty#endnote_prweek)}

However another of the PR men on the shortlist, Stuart Bruce, seemed quite clear about the significance of Reed's electoral success. A few days after the election, he wrote: "One of the challenges facing Jamie will be to help push the government into an essential replacement programme for our nuclear power stations. Good luck." ^{[3] (http://www.nuclearspin.org/index.php/Thomas_Docherty#endnote_bruce)}

Civil Nuclear Industry Scottish CPG role

Docherty used to represent the UKAEA on the Scottish Parliament's Civil Nuclear Industry CPG, according to the CPG's website. ^{[4] (http://www.nuclearspin.org/index.php/Thomas_Docherty#endnote_source)}

After the Scottish Sunday Herald started researching the links between the CPG and lobbyists, Docherty's name was removed from the site ^{[5] (http://www.nuclearspin.org/index.php/Thomas_Docherty#endnote_herald)}; ^{[6] (http://www.nuclearspin.org/index.php/Thomas_Docherty#endnote_cpc)}

External Links

• ^ PR Week, "Labour Candidate Emerges, and Wins" (http://www.prweek.com/uk/search/article/476577/diary-labour-candidate-emerges-wins/), May 20, 2005; the full article can only be acccessed with a subscription

• ^ Stuart Bruce's then website (http://www.20six.co.uk/middletonpark/archive/2005/05/11/t3r94qyghpvo.htm)

• ^ Civil Nuclear Industry Scottish CPC Website, cached on Sourcewatch website (http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Image:Scottish-civil-nuclear-cpg-in-yahoo-cache-26jan06.jpg).

• ^ Paul Hutcheon, "Sleaze Probe into Nuclear Lobbying at Holyrood" (http://www.sundayherald.com/53711), Sunday Herald, January 22, 2006

• ^ Civil Nuclear Industry CPG website (http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/msp/crossPartyGroups/groups/cpg-cni.htm).