 | 'Over recent years she fought bravely against cancer, which never diminished her energy for the independence cause.' Moray MP Angus Robertson, 21 st March 2006. |  |
| 'Over recent years she fought bravely against cancer, which never diminished her energy for the independence cause.' Moray MP Angus Robertson, 21 st March 2006. | |
The death of Moray MSP Margaret Ewing has brought a premature end to a political career stretching back more than three decades.
It also brings to an end a courageous fight against ill-health that had dogged her for the past few years.
Mrs Ewing, who celebrated her 60th birthday last September, announced last year that she would be standing down at the Scottish Parliament elections in May next year, quoting health problems as the main reason for her decision.
She said at the time: "I have mixed feelings and I have thought long and hard about it, but there is a time to go and no one is indispensable."
Three years earlier, in 2002, she had undergone surgery for breast cancer after being diagnosed following a routine examination at a mobile screening unit which was visiting Lossiemouth, where she and husband Fergus had made their Moray home.
But within four months of having a cancerous lump removed, Mrs Ewing was back at work in the Scottish Parliament.
Although the surgery was a success, her health was never fully restored and two years ago she was laid low by pneumonia.
The daughter of a Lanarkshire farm worker, she was educated at Biggar High School before going on to study at both Glasgow University and Strathclyde University.
She trained as a teacher at Jordanhill College in Glasgow and was principal teacher of remedial education at a school in Stirling until her political career took off in October 1974.
A member of the SNP since her students days, as Maggie Bain - her first husband was an economist and SNP activist - she won the East Dunbartonshire seat for the nationalists by a majority of just 22 votes over Labour - one of 11 SNP MPs to be returned to Westminster that year.
She lost the seat five years later and spent the next two years working as a freelance journalist before standing unsuccessfully in Strathkelvin and Bearsden in 1983.
Mrs Ewing, whose husband is MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, made a return to Westminster in 1987 when she took Moray - which had formerly been held by her mother-in-law, SNP doyenne Winnie Ewing - from the Tories.
Her return to the Commons saw her quickly become the SNP's parliamentary leader.
Three years later, however, she was defeated by Alex Salmond in a contest for the leadership of the entire party.
While she had the passion and the conviction, Mr Salmond had the assurance and the aplomb - and, crucially, was judged by many activists to be the more polished TV performer.
She was the constituency's MP for the for the next 14 years, stepping down in favour of Holyrood after being elected MSP for Moray at the inaugural Scottish Parliament elections in 1999.
Mr Salmond recalled how she once reduced the Scottish Parliament to laughter at the expense of the-then first minister, Henry McLeish.
He was casting around for an "unparliamentary expression beginning in H and ending in Y" - and she offered the word "Henry".
Mrs Ewing, who was also group leader at Holyrood from 1999 to 2002, championed the underprivileged at every opportunity and had planned to devote her time to tackling poverty issues at home and overseas after retiring from politics next year.
During her years as a MP and MSP she campaigned tirelessly on local issues and among her achievements were the redeveloped Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin with its new maternity unit.
She was among the original campaigners for extra winter heating payments for the elderly and was a staunch supporter of Scotland's whisky industry, which has its heartland in Moray.
Mrs Ewing also sat on many committees at both Westminster and Holyrood, including several involved with health-related and disability issues.
When she announced her intention to stand down, Mrs Ewing reflected on what she hoped she had achieved and what she knew she had not.
"I thought I was going to change the world when I entered politics, but you soon learn to be patient," she said.
Last night Angus Robertson, who succeeded Mrs Ewing as Moray's MP, said her loss would be felt throughout the community.
He described her as a hard-working parliamentarian who had battled for the interests of her constituents.
"Over recent years she fought bravely against cancer, which never diminished her energy for the independence cause."
Moray Council convener Eddie Coutts said: "We are all deeply saddened by the news. Margaret worked tirelessly for the people of Moray ever since she was first elected.
"She was an excellent constituency MSP and through her offices the area has become widely known in Europe, London and, more recently, Holyrood.
"She always wore Moray on her sleeve and in her we have all lost a great campaigner."
SNP veteran Tom Howe, a Moray councillor for 35 years before standing down three years ago, said Mrs Ewing would be tremendous loss to Moray.
"She was a lovely girl, so well liked by everyone," said Mr Howe, 76. "She was the most sincere and understanding person, as anyone who knew her found out over the years."
Pearl Paul, leader of the SNP group on Moray Council, said she had been shocked at the news of Mrs Ewing's death.
"Since I started working for Margaret at elections I quickly became aware of the high regard in which she was held by the people of Moray. I feel I have lost a friend as well as a party colleague."
The Press and Journal's political editor, David Perry, recalled Mrs Ewing's arrival at Westminster following her 1974 election victory.
He said: "Margaret Bain, as she then was, was a welcome sight attending meetings of the Scottish grand committee wearing a tartan mini-kilt held together by what appeared to be a single large safety pin.
"Margaret had a wicked sense of humour. A keen shot, she said on one occasion she would use a picture of former right-wing Perth and Kinross Tory MP Sir Nicholas Fairbairn for target practice in the Commons Rifle Club range after the misogynist claimed women MPs resembled 'the 5th Kiev Stalinist machinegun parade'."
Your Views
I was Margaret's parliamentary assistant when she returned to House of Commons in 1987. It was clear I was dealing with an astute politician right away. She inherited me from Gordon Wilson and Donald Stewart. We became close friends over the years, even when I went over the fence into the world of journalism - a world she knew very well too. I often stayed with her on regular working trips to london and her sense of fun was memorable. But it was her inherent kindness and intellectual rigour which marked Margaret out from many of her political peers. She was your friend first and foremost. As a reporter, we respected our professional relationship but retained a personal frienship away from our mutual worlds of work. AS a friend,her support through bad times was unquestioning, particularly my own health battles four years ago. She was then amazed at the support she received through her bouts of serious illness even though it was the least all of us could do for such a wonderful person. My fondest memory of Margaret will be in the Ewing's house in Drymen one evening with Fergus playing jazz on the piano, my attempts at singing a few 'numbers' and Margaret a vision of total relaxation and happiness lying on the sofa laughing at the two of us perform. We planned a whole concert tour that evening, including the Usher Hall, Caird Hall, Albert Hall and beyond. Fergus and I always joke about going on the road and giving up politics/journalism. I'll cherish the warm happy memory of that evening in the full knowledge that I and the many others have lost a remarkable friend.
Rona Campbell Political Reporter BBC Wales
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