‘Insult’ to memory of Donald Dewar

Sir, – When I did my Higher History at Dundee’s Morgan Academy back in the late 1960s, one thing my teachers stressed was paying attention to detail.

Reading the article in The Courier (February 2) about the latest materials now being used at a primary school in Forfar, my home town, on famous Scots, it would appear the old saying about history being written by the winners now applies not just to those who win wars but also those who win political office.

The deification of Nicola Sturgeon is something sadly we’ve come to expect in today’s politics where personality now trumps policy.

However, the description of Donald Dewar is nothing short of an insult to his memory.

I admit I’m biased as it was my privilege to work with him for over two years until his death in 2000.

To say, as this material does, that he “worked for the government in London” is taking brevity of description to ludicrous levels.

There’s no mention that he was an MP for over 20 years, that he was a government minister or that he was Secretary of State for Scotland.

Then to compound their mistake the authors of this nonsense, online publishers Twinkl, go on with another speech bubble stating Mr Dewar “campaigned for Scotland to have the power to make their own rules”.

He did more than campaign – he led the fight, led the referendum to secure the vote leading to the Scotland Act, took that Act through the UK Parliament, led Labour to victory in the first elections to the Scottish Parliament and was elected the first ever First Minister of Scotland.

At least they got that bit right.

David Whitton. Former Special Adviser to Donald Dewar, Kirkintilloch.