Margaret Ewing
Encyclopedia
Margaret Anne Ewing was a Scottish National Party
(SNP) politician who served as a Member of Parliament
(MP) and as a Member of the Scottish Parliament
(MSP). She was a candidate for the SNP leadership election in 1990.
and the University of Strathclyde
, and was a teacher before being elected as Member of Parliament
(MP) for East Dunbartonshire
at the October 1974 election
, by just 22 votes, when she was known as Margaret Bain. At one point she burst into tears in the House of Commons when a devolution proposal was defeated. With the downturn in SNP electoral fortunes at the 1979 Election
she lost her seat in the House of Commons
. She unsuccessfully contested the Strathkelvin and Bearsden
constituency at the 1983 Election
.
She then worked as a freelance journalist
before being re-elected to Westminster
at the 1987 election
to represent Moray
, by which time she was known as Margaret Ewing. She held this seat until standing down at the 2001 general election
to concentrate on Holyrood
. She stood for the leadership of the SNP in 1990 but lost out to Alex Salmond
despite the backing of many prominent SNP members (such as Jim Sillars
).
In 1999, at the first Scottish Parliament Election she was returned to represent Moray
. She was returned again in 2003.
In August 2005 she had announced that she was not seeking reelection in the 2007 Scottish Parliament elections. The SNP
comfortably retained her vacant seat at the by-election
which took place on 27 April 2006.
Fergus Ewing
in 1983, who is the son of Winnie Ewing
.
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) politician who served as a 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) and as a Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.-Methods of Election:MSPs are elected in one of two ways:...
(MSP). She was a candidate for the SNP leadership election in 1990.
Career
She attended the University of GlasgowUniversity of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
and the University of Strathclyde
University of Strathclyde
The University of Strathclyde , Glasgow, Scotland, is Glasgow's second university by age, founded in 1796, and receiving its Royal Charter in 1964 as the UK's first technological university...
, and was a teacher before being elected as 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) for East Dunbartonshire
Dunbartonshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Dunbartonshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1950...
at the October 1974 election
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...
, by just 22 votes, when she was known as Margaret Bain. At one point she burst into tears in the House of Commons when a devolution proposal was defeated. With the downturn in SNP electoral fortunes at the 1979 Election
United Kingdom general election, 1979
The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats...
she lost her seat in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
. She unsuccessfully contested the Strathkelvin and Bearsden
Strathkelvin and Bearsden (UK Parliament constituency)
Strathkelvin and Bearsden was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1983...
constituency at the 1983 Election
United Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
.
She then worked as a freelance journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
before being re-elected to 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...
at the 1987 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...
to represent Moray
Moray (UK Parliament constituency)
-Sources:* * * * * * -See also:...
, by which time she was known as Margaret Ewing. She held this seat until standing down at the 2001 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
to concentrate on Holyrood
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...
. She stood for the leadership of the SNP in 1990 but lost out to Alex Salmond
Alex Salmond
Alexander Elliot Anderson "Alex" Salmond MSP is a Scottish politician and current First Minister of Scotland. He became Scotland's fourth First Minister in May 2007. He is the Leader of the Scottish National Party , having served as Member of the Scottish Parliament for Gordon...
despite the backing of many prominent SNP members (such as Jim Sillars
Jim Sillars
Jim Sillars is a Scottish politician. He is married to current member of the Scottish Parliament, Margo MacDonald.-Early life:...
).
In 1999, at the first Scottish Parliament Election she was returned to represent Moray
Moray (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Moray is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the first past the post method of election...
. She was returned again in 2003.
In August 2005 she had announced that she was not seeking reelection in the 2007 Scottish Parliament elections. The SNP
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
comfortably retained her vacant seat at the by-election
Moray by-election, 2006
A by-election in the Moray constituency of the Scottish Parliament was held on 27 April 2006 following the death of the Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament Margaret Ewing on 21 March 2006, from breast cancer...
which took place on 27 April 2006.
Family
She was married twice: firstly to Donald Bain in 1968 (divorced 1980) and secondly to fellow MSPMember of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.-Methods of Election:MSPs are elected in one of two ways:...
Fergus Ewing
Fergus Ewing
Fergus Ewing is the Scottish Government's Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism and the Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Inverness and Nairn.- Background :...
in 1983, who is the son of Winnie Ewing
Winnie Ewing
Winifred Margaret 'Winnie' Ewing is a Scottish nationalist, lawyer and prominent SNP politician who was formerly a Member of Parliament , Member of the European Parliament and Member of the Scottish Parliament...
.