DUNDEE CITY councillor Joe Morrow has been elected to the top post in Freemasonry in Scotland, writes Brian Allison, local government reporter.

This week he will be installed as the 108th Most Worshipful Grand Master Mason of the Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of Scotland. The post comes up for re-election annually but it is traditional for the Grand Master to serve five years.

Mr Morrow is councillor for Stobswell and the economic development convener. He is an Episcopalian minister and has a legal career as an advocate.

During his term in office Mr Morrow hopes to create a greater culture of openness and help break down the perception of secrecy that surrounds Freemasonry. He has also made it clear from the outset he will have no truck with the idea people should get any special favours just because they are masons. He is aware of the perception of nepotism attached to Free- masonry but believes it has been grossly exaggerated.

“I have been a member for 20 years and I have never been asked to collude in anything that involved nepotism,” he said. “As a future leader of Freemasonry it is not behaviour I would expect or support. If anyone tried to gain favour with me because he was a mason he wouldn’t get it and I would think much less of him as a result.”

He said the fact there was a public suspicion of nepotism helped to make it more difficult to perpetrate because the spotlight would be turned on anything that aroused suspicion.

On allegations of secrecy, he accepted there were secrets in Freemasonry “but nothing you couldn’t find out from the internet.” He said the requirement for secrecy was a way of testing a potential member’s integrity. “Personally, I have never hidden the fact that I’m a Freemason and I am keen to promote openness. We are starting to open up, for instance in having open days where the public can visit lodges.”

But he stops short of supporting a requirement for people in public life, such as politicians and judges, to declare whether they are Freemasons.