Donald Stewart
Encyclopedia
Donald James Stewart was Scottish National Party
(SNP) Member of Parliament
(MP) from 1970 to 1987 for the Western Isles. He also served as President of the Scottish National Party (SNP) from 1982 to 1987.
Born in Stornoway, Western Isles, Scotland
in 1920, Stewart became convinced of the case for Scottish independence
at the United Kingdom general election
1935, and joined the SNP the following year. Left-leaning by political conviction, he subsequently joined the Labour Party, but remained a member for only a short time before rejoining the SNP.
He saw active service during the Second World War with the Royal Navy, remaining an SNP member throughout. He returned to Stornoway where he served as a councillor
for many years (twice serving as the town's provost
) before election as an SNP MP in the United Kingdom general election, 1970
. He was the SNP's first ever MP returned at a general election
, and the last declared result in 1970, which caused great attention in the media.
Stewart was the SNP's sole Westminster
representative from 1970 until he was joined by Margo MacDonald
who won Glasgow Govan
in the by-election
of 1973. At the February 1974 General Election
he was joined by six other SNP MPs, and at the October General Election of that year
this number increased to eleven. Stewart became the SNP parliamentary group leader, with William Wolfe
as the SNP leader overall.
Donald Stewart also attempted to introduce a Scottish Gaelic private members bill, but this was scuppered by certain politicians . The language had to wait until 2004 for official recognition from the devolved Scottish Parliament
.
Stewart continued to represent the Western Isles until 1987 when he retired from front-line politics. At the General Election
of that year his seat was gained by the Labour Party from the SNP and was consequently held until the 2005 general election
when it was regained by the SNP's Angus Brendan MacNeil.
Stewart was working on an autobiography
when he died in 1992. It was edited and completed by his sister, and published in 1994 as A Scot in Westminster.
It was Stewart who famously described the SNP as a "radical party, with a revolutionary aim".
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
(SNP) Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) from 1970 to 1987 for the Western Isles. He also served as President of the Scottish National Party (SNP) from 1982 to 1987.
Born in Stornoway, Western Isles, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
in 1920, Stewart became convinced of the case for Scottish independence
Scottish independence
Scottish independence is a political ambition of political parties, advocacy groups and individuals for Scotland to secede from the United Kingdom and become an independent sovereign state, separate from England, Wales and Northern Ireland....
at the United Kingdom general election
United Kingdom general election, 1935
The United Kingdom general election held on 14 November 1935 resulted in a large, though reduced, majority for the National Government now led by Conservative Stanley Baldwin. The greatest number of MPs, as before, were Conservative, while the National Liberal vote held steady...
1935, and joined the SNP the following year. Left-leaning by political conviction, he subsequently joined the Labour Party, but remained a member for only a short time before rejoining the SNP.
He saw active service during the Second World War with the Royal Navy, remaining an SNP member throughout. He returned to Stornoway where he served as a councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
for many years (twice serving as the town's provost
Provost (civil)
A provost is the ceremonial head of many Scottish local authorities, and under the name prévôt was a governmental position of varying importance in Ancien Regime France.-History:...
) before election as an SNP MP in the United Kingdom general election, 1970
United Kingdom general election, 1970
The United Kingdom general election of 1970 was held on 18 June 1970, and resulted in a surprise victory for the Conservative Party under leader Edward Heath, who defeated the Labour Party under Harold Wilson. The election also saw the Liberal Party and its new leader Jeremy Thorpe lose half their...
. He was the SNP's first ever MP returned at a general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
, and the last declared result in 1970, which caused great attention in the media.
Stewart was the SNP's sole Westminster
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
representative from 1970 until he was joined by Margo MacDonald
Margo MacDonald
Margo MacDonald MSP is a Scottish politician and former Scottish National Party MP and Deputy Leader...
who won Glasgow Govan
Glasgow Govan (UK Parliament constituency)
Glasgow Govan was a parliamentary constituency in the Govan district of Glasgow. It was represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 until 2005, returning one Member of Parliament elected by the first-past-the-post system.The area which the constituency...
in the by-election
Glasgow Govan by-election, 1973
The Glasgow Govan by-election was held on 8 November 1973, following the death of John Rankin, Labour Party Member of Parliament for the Glasgow Govan constituency. Rankin had died one month earlier, on 8 October 1973. Rankin had held the seat since 1955. With the exception of a narrow Conservative...
of 1973. At the February 1974 General Election
United Kingdom general election, February 1974
The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,...
he was joined by six other SNP MPs, and at the October General Election of that year
United Kingdom general election, October 1974
The United Kingdom general election of October 1974 took place on 10 October 1974 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. It was the second general election of that year and resulted in the Labour Party led by Harold Wilson, winning by a tiny majority of 3 seats.The election of...
this number increased to eleven. Stewart became the SNP parliamentary group leader, with William Wolfe
William Wolfe
William Cuthbertson "Billy" Wolfe was the leader of the Scottish National Party from 1969 to 1979...
as the SNP leader overall.
Donald Stewart also attempted to introduce a Scottish Gaelic private members bill, but this was scuppered by certain politicians . The language had to wait until 2004 for official recognition from the devolved Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
.
Stewart continued to represent the Western Isles until 1987 when he retired from front-line politics. At the General Election
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
of that year his seat was gained by the Labour Party from the SNP and was consequently held until the 2005 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
when it was regained by the SNP's Angus Brendan MacNeil.
Stewart was working on an autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
when he died in 1992. It was edited and completed by his sister, and published in 1994 as A Scot in Westminster.
It was Stewart who famously described the SNP as a "radical party, with a revolutionary aim".