OBITUARY:Michael Grieve
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Michael Grieve was a prominent and popular member of the Scottish journalistic fraternity, versatile enough to have been able to work at different times for the tabloid press, the quality press and television.
As the son of the poet Hugh MacDiarmid (the pen name of Christopher Grieve), Mike Grieve inherited some of this father's feeling for words, as well as many of his sentiments and his political commitment; he was a good all-round reporter of Scottish affairs, including those taking place in the arts, which flourished in a new renaissance during his lifetime, and covered many Edinburgh Festivals as Arts Editor for Scottish Television as well as other events during the Scottish arts year. He was a good talker and bon viveur, but cancer caused the removal of his voice-box, so that in his last years he had to communicate in a whisper, often with the help of his wife, Deirdre.
Like his father a fervent Scottish nationalist, Mike Grieve stood twice for election as an SNP candidate, and, among other party offices, was Vice-Chairman of the Publicity committee during the party's most effective period of growth of nationalist feeling and increase in voting-power. But his nationalism was never fanatical or extreme and he had an all-round appreciation, necessary in a journalist, of the good and bad points of the other parties.
His "Voice of Scotland" column in the Glasgow Daily Record was deliberately provocative, enlightening and entertaining, aimed at helping Scots to be proud of their background, heritage and history.
He had an appreciation of both the higher and the popular arts that was broad and non-elitist. But his main literary efforts went towards preserving the work and reputation of his father, who died in 1978. He edited a Hugh MacDiarmid Anthology in 1972, the Complete Poems 1920-76 (1978, with W.R. Aitken), and worked together with Dougal MacMillan, an American academic author, on the official biography of his father, which has yet to appear.
John Calder
Michael Grieve, journalist, broadcaster, political activist: born Shetland July 1932; married; died Glasgow 18 August 1995.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments