*** Welcome to piglix ***

Winifred Ewing

Winnie Ewing
President of the Scottish National Party
In office
1987 – September 2005
Preceded by Donald Stewart
Succeeded by Ian Hudghton
Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Highlands and Islands
In office
6 May 1999 – 31 March 2003
Preceded by Constituency created
Succeeded by Rob Gibson
Member of the European Parliament
for Highlands and Islands
In office
10 June 1979 – 13 June 1999
Preceded by Constituency created
Succeeded by Constituency abolished
Member of Parliament
for Moray and Nairn
In office
28 February 1974 – 3 May 1979
Preceded by Gordon Campbell
Succeeded by Alexander Pollock
Member of Parliament
for Hamilton
In office
2 November 1967 – 18 June 1970
Preceded by Tom Fraser
Succeeded by Alexander Wilson
Personal details
Born Winifred Margaret Woodburn
(1929-07-10) 10 July 1929 (age 88)
Glasgow, Scotland
Nationality Scottish
Political party Scottish National Party
Spouse(s) Stewart Martin Ewing (m. 1956–2003)
Children Fergus Ewing
Annabelle Ewing
Terry
Alma mater University of Glasgow
Profession Solicitor

Winifred Margaret Ewing (born 10 July 1929) is a Scottish nationalist, lawyer and prominent Scottish National Party (SNP) politician who was a Member of Parliament (Hamilton 1967–70; Moray and Nairn 74–79), Member of the European Parliament (Highlands and Islands 1975–1999) and Member of the Scottish Parliament (Highlands and Islands 1999–2003). Her election victory in 1967 was a significant by-election in Scottish political history and began a surge of support for the SNP. She was the Scottish National Party President from 1987 to 2005.

Born Winifred Margaret Woodburn in Glasgow, she was educated at Battlefield School and Queen's Park Senior Secondary School. In 1946 she matriculated at Glasgow University where she earned an MA and studied for an LLB. Though not very active in politics at that time, she joined the Student Nationalists. After graduation she qualified and practised as a solicitor and notary public. She was Secretary of the Glasgow Bar Association from 1962 to 1967.

She became active in campaigning for Scottish independence through her membership of the Glasgow University Scottish Nationalist Association, and came to prominence in 1967 when she won the watershed Hamilton by-election as the Scottish National Party (SNP) candidate. A practising solicitor at the time of her election, she proved to be a sound choice as her eloquence and ability bolstered a hard-fought SNP campaign and saw her through to victory. She was also helped on to victory by a team of enthusiastic helpers, among them her election agent, John McAteer. On 16 November she made her first appearance at Westminster, with her husband and children accompanied her on the journey. She arrived at the parliament in a Scottish-built Hillman Imp and was greeted by a crowd and a pipe band. She said at the time of her election, 'stop the world, Scotland wants to get on', and her presence at Westminster proved to be a real focus for the SNP with a significant rise in membership being the result. Furthermore, many political commentators speculate that it was as a result of her victory that the then Labour Government established the Kilbrandon Commission to look into the establishment of a devolved Scottish Assembly.


...
Wikipedia

...