Winnie Ewing
Ten years ago on 12Th May 1999, the Scottish Parliament met for the first time as a democratically elected body. Dr Winnie Ewing opened the first session with some well-chosen words.
The Scottish Parliament was in abeyance for nearly 300 years until devolution and the Scotland Act 1998 legislated for the Parliament to reconvene. The former parliament was feudal and unrepresentative of the people of Scotland. The current version somewhat better but with room for improvement. In its first sitting there was 39.5% female representation, but that has fallen to 33.3% now. So, although the SNP has always had high profile and very effective women in its ranks, it needs to get serious about recruiting more.
Ewing has been in politics for four decades having been elected as SNP MP for Hamilton in 1967. This spectacular and popular electoral victory is profiled in the BBC Alba documentary on her life. She became even more famous as she took her seat in Europe in 1975 where she was known as Madame Ecosse, presumably because she was there to represent Scottish interests and promote European legislation that would benefit her country.
This is a woman who could employ a pertinent turn of phrase. She is reported as commenting at the time of her Hamilton election victory “stop the world, Scotland wants to get on”.
On taking her seat in the Commons, she noted, “a shiver ran along the Labour front bench looking for a spine to run up.”
The BBC Alba documentary on Winnie Ewing is on YouTube in several parts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaXMT_7wmXs&feature=related
At 79 she is today, returning to Holyrood to see her portrait unveiled as part of the celebration of ten years of devolution. http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/nmCentre/news/news-09/pa09-013.htm
Ten years ago on 12Th May 1999, the Scottish Parliament met for the first time as a democratically elected body. Dr Winnie Ewing opened the first session with some well-chosen words.
The Scottish Parliament, which adjourned on March 25 1707, is hereby reconvened.http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/vli/history/firstDays/1999firstMeeting.htm
The Scottish Parliament was in abeyance for nearly 300 years until devolution and the Scotland Act 1998 legislated for the Parliament to reconvene. The former parliament was feudal and unrepresentative of the people of Scotland. The current version somewhat better but with room for improvement. In its first sitting there was 39.5% female representation, but that has fallen to 33.3% now. So, although the SNP has always had high profile and very effective women in its ranks, it needs to get serious about recruiting more.
Ewing has been in politics for four decades having been elected as SNP MP for Hamilton in 1967. This spectacular and popular electoral victory is profiled in the BBC Alba documentary on her life. She became even more famous as she took her seat in Europe in 1975 where she was known as Madame Ecosse, presumably because she was there to represent Scottish interests and promote European legislation that would benefit her country.
This is a woman who could employ a pertinent turn of phrase. She is reported as commenting at the time of her Hamilton election victory “stop the world, Scotland wants to get on”.
On taking her seat in the Commons, she noted, “a shiver ran along the Labour front bench looking for a spine to run up.”
The BBC Alba documentary on Winnie Ewing is on YouTube in several parts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaXMT_7wmXs&feature=related
At 79 she is today, returning to Holyrood to see her portrait unveiled as part of the celebration of ten years of devolution. http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/nmCentre/news/news-09/pa09-013.htm
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