 | 'Politics will remember a woman who was honest, strightforward and above all thoroughly decent.' Scotland Today, 21 st March 2006. |  |
| 'Politics will remember a woman who was honest, strightforward and above all thoroughly decent.' Scotland Today, 21 st March 2006. | |
One of the SNP's best loved figures, the Moray MSP Margaret Ewing has died at the age of 60. The news shocked Holyrood late this afternoon when news of her death spread.
Margaret Ewing was a traditional Nationalist of an old school political dynasty which includes husband Fergus, mother in law Winnie and sister in law Annabel. Loved in the SNP, admired in other parties she was a regular fixture in Scottish politics for over 30 years. She was born in Lanark in 1945. After a spell in teaching and journalism, she scraped home in East Dunbartinshire in 1974 by a mere 22 votes. She was one of 11 SNP MPs when Labour tried to legislate twice for devolution in the 1970s.
She was a deputy leader of the party in the eighties. She started favourite to beat Alex Salmond for the top job after Gordon Wilson's resignation in 1990. Her campaign, ultimately unsuccessful, was principled and fought without rancour.
She was elected to the Scottish Parliament in 1999. Dogged by ill health her career never realised its early promise. But politics will remember a woman who was honest, strightforward and above all thoroughly decent.
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