FIFTY YEARS ON…

Bigdate inpolitical history

Lawyer Winnie Ewing stunned the nation when she won the 1967 Hamilton by-election by a majority of 1779.

Her victory is viewed by many as a hugely significant moment in Scotland’s political history.

On the 40th anniversary of the win, the then SNP leader Alex Salmond said:“that by-election was undoubtedly a catalyst for reform, without which the movement for a Scottish Parliament would have been delayed still further.

“It forced the pace of change and demanded attention for the cause of Scottish independence from Westminster.”

Mrs Ewing’s time as Hamilton’s MP only lasted three years as she lost the seat in the 1970 General Election.

However, in 1975 she became a prominent Member of the European Parliament (MEP).

And it was during her time as an MEP that she acquired the nickname‘madame Ecosse’because of her strong advocacy of Scotland.

By 1987 she had been elected the SNP party president and in 1995 she had become Britain’s longest-serving MEP but gave up the role in 1999, instead becoming a Member of the Scottish Parliament, where she represented the Highlands and Islands.

She announced her retirement from Parliament in 2001 and now, aged 88, she continues to inspire generations of activists.