Margaret Ewing

Margaret Anne Ewing (née McAdam; 1 September 1945 – 21 March 2006) was a Scottish teacher, journalist and politician. She served as a Scottish National Party (SNP) Member of Parliament for East Dunbartonshire from 1974 to 1979 and Moray from 1987 to 2001, and was Member of the Scottish Parliament for Moray from 1999 until 2006.

Ewing was Deputy Leader of the Scottish National Party from 1984 to 1987 and leader of the SNP parliamentary group in the House of Commons from 1987 to 1999. She was a candidate for the SNP leadership in 1990.

Early life and career

Ewing was born Margaret Anne McAdam in Lanark, the daughter of John McAdam, a farm labourer.^[1] She was educated at Biggar High School and the University of Glasgow, graduating with an MA degree in English language and literature.^[2]

She was an English teacher at St Modan's High School in Stirling from 1970 to 1973, before serving as principal teacher of remedial education from 1973 to 1974.

Political career

She joined the Scottish National Party as a student in 1966 and was president of the student group at the university.^[3] She was 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; she had failed to win the seat at the previous election in February. 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.^[4] After working for a period as an administrator in social services in Glasgow, she unsuccessfully contested the Strathkelvin and Bearsden constituency at the 1983 Election.^[5]

She then worked as a freelance journalist. Now known as Margaret Ewing, she was selected by the SNP as their candidate for Moray at the 1987 election.^[6] She was re-elected to Westminster and again in 1992 and 1997, holding 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.^[7] The SNP comfortably retained her vacant seat at the by-election which took place on 27 April 2006.

Death

She died from breast cancer, aged 60, on 21 March 2006.

Family

She was married twice: firstly to Donald Bain in 1968 (divorced 1980) and secondly to fellow Member of the Scottish Parliament Fergus Ewing in 1983, who is the son of Winnie Ewing. Her sister-in-law Annabelle Ewing is also an SNP politician.

References

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Margaret Ewing
• SNP tribute page
• SNP veteran Margaret Ewing dies (BBC)
• Times obituary
• Independent obituary
• Telegraph obituary