 | 'I met her first at the SNP Economics and Information Committee in Stirling in 1967; Billy Wolfe was in the chair, and I was impressed by the bright young Margaret MacAdam. She was a rising star, but all the talk then was of the forthcoming Hamilton by election, where the candidate was the woman destined in later years to become her mother in law, Winnie Ewing.' Jim Lynch in the Scots Independent, 24 th March 2006. |  |
I was saddened to hear of the death of Margaret Ewing, MSP for Moray. She was 60 years old and had been suffering ill health for some time, and was retirng from the Scottish Parliament at the next election.
I met her first at the SNP Economics and Information Committee in Stirling in 1967; Billy Wolfe was in the chair, and I was impressed by the bright young Margaret MacAdam. She was a rising star, but all the talk then was of the forthcoming Hamilton by election, where the candidate was the woman destined in later years to become her mother in law, Winnie Ewing.
In October 1974 she was elected to the Westminster Parliament as the MP for East Dunbartonshire with a majority of 22; at that time she was married to Donald Bain, head of the SNP Research Department. Unfortunately the stresses of Parliamentary life resulted in them splitting up.
The SNP had a Parliamentary Group of 11 MPs from 1974-79, but the rigged Referendum Campaign, followed by a vote of confidence in the House of Commons brought down the then Labour Government; in the resulting General Election, Margaret and 8 of her colleagues lost their seats. In 1983, Margaret married Fergus Ewing, and in 1987 she became the MP for Moray; she was re-elected in that seat 5 times, and her last majority was her biggest one.
She was a renowned local campaigner, especially for the retention of maternity services in Elgin, and she stood for the SNP leadership in 1990 against Alex Salmond.
Her interests were in education and the developing world , and she was a member of the UK-Irish Parliamentary Assembly and Commonwealth Parliamentary Assembly.
Speaking after the announcement SNP leader Alex Salmond MP said:
'Margaret Ewing was an outstanding Member of Parliament in both Westminster and in Scotland and a hugely supportive friend and colleague. She will be missed across the political spectrum because Margaret was one of the few politicians without an enemy in the world.
'Her love for her beautiful constituency of Moray was well known and her constituents responded in full measure by electing her five times in succession and in 2003, by a record majority, despite a debilitating illness.
'She was elected first in the 1970s as the youngest MP with the smallest majority but it was when she returned to the House of Commons as MP for Moray that she really made her mark deploying great political skill.
'I got to know her well from 1987 when she led a group of only three of us in the Westminster Parliament, which she did with grace and style. In addition to her abiding concern for education she added a vital international dimension to the SNP and was hugely respected for her work with developing countries and the Baltic States, then gaining their independence from the Soviet Union.
'Margaret also possessed a wicked sense of humour and her running commentaries at Westminster on a variety of Government Ministers were a joy to listen to. She carried that mastery of the devastating debating one liners into the Scots Parliament as in 2001 when she reduced the entire Parliament to tears of laughter by offering the single word "Henry" to the then First Minister McLeish who was searching for an "unparliamentary expression beginning in h and ending in y".
'Above all she will be missed by the SNP members on whose behalf I have expressed our condolences to her husband Fergus, her mother-in-law Winnie, her sister-in-law Annabelle and the rest of the family.'
SNP Holyrood Leader Nicola Sturgeon MSP added:
'"Margaret was an outstanding parliamentarian and an inspiration to all who knew her, not least in the brave way she fought illness in recent times. She will be hugely missed by her constituents whose corner she fought tirelessly over many years. Margaret was, of course, a nationalist to her core; Scotland's cause was her cause and the national movement has today lost one of its finest ambassadors.
'I and all of my colleagues in Holyrood will miss her optimism, her dedication and her friendship. I, in particular, will miss her wise counsel. Our thoughts are with Fergus and the rest of the family at this sad time.'
Moray MP Angus Robertson spoke warmly about his Scottish Parliament colleague:
'This is a very sad day for the whole Ewing family. Margaret was held in the highest esteem in Moray and her loss will be felt throughout the community.
'She was well known as a hard-working local parliamentarian who battled for the interests of her constituents. Margaret was at the forefront of the campaign to save maternity services in Elgin.
'Over recent years she fought bravely against cancer, which never diminished her energy for the independence cause. Margaret even attended the AGM of Moray SNP Constituency Association two days ago, despite ill health.
'At this time my thoughts are with Fergus, Winnie, Annabelle and the rest of the Ewing family.'
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