 | 'The death of Margaret Ewing has robbed Scotland of one of its finest politicians, a woman who was an inspiration to all with her courage in the face of adversity, in her political and personal life.' The Press & Journal, 22 nd March 2006. |  |
| 'The death of Margaret Ewing has robbed Scotland of one of its finest politicians, a woman who was an inspiration to all with her courage in the face of adversity, in her political and personal life.' The Press & Journal, 22 nd March 2006. | |
The death of Margaret Ewing has robbed Scotland of one of its finest politicians, a woman who was an inspiration to all with her courage in the face of adversity, in her political and personal life.
Such was her determination to fight for Scottish interests that she helped drive the SNP bandwagon to the point where it could not be ignored or discounted any longer by the political establishment.
It was this pressure which meant that serious efforts had to be made to contain or satisfy Scottish aspirations within a UK context during a period when support for the SNP was continuing to grow.
Much of that was due in no small measure to the efforts of Scottish politicians such as Mrs Ewing.
Being part of the renowned and respected Ewing clan gave her tremendous political clout, but one suspects that even without this advantage she would still have been a force to be reckoned with.
Her success was inevitable, given her strength of personality, determination and commitment to Scotland and her constituents.
She led from the front and guided the SNP parliamentary party with great skill and humour. She was beaten in the leadership contest for the party by Alex Salmond. At a time when television image and spin was, and sadly remains to this day, regarded misguidedly as the be all and end all of electoral success, Mr Salmond was adjudged to have the edge in this department. Yet the fact that Mrs Ewing wore her heart on her sleeve won her admiration and respect across the political spectrum and among ordinary people, especially in her beloved Moray.
Many of her political duties reflected her concern for ordinary people fighting adversity. Her own brave battle against serious illness was an inspiration to many.
Mrs Ewing once said she went into politics to change the world, but learned she had to be patient. The world will be worse off without her.
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