Items18The creator’s order
  1. 1Winnie EwingWinnie EwingBorn 10 Jul 1929Ewing's win at the Hamilton by-election in 1967, overturning a Labour majority of over 16,000, made the SNP a force at Westminster and frightened both main parties into taking Scottish self-government seriously; Edward Heath's 'Declaration of Perth' backing an assembly followed in 1968. She later…0i
  2. 2Tam DalyellTam DalyellBorn 9 Aug 1932A Labour opponent of devolution, Dalyell posed the 'West Lothian question' in 1977: why should a Scottish MP vote on English matters when English MPs could not vote on the same matters in Scotland? He and George Cunningham, whose amendment required 40 per cent of the whole electorate to approve the…0i
  3. 3John Smith (Labour Party leader)John Smith (Labour Party leader)Born 13 Sept 1938As a young minister Smith piloted the ill-fated Scotland Act 1978 through the Commons, and as Labour leader from 1992 he called a Scottish parliament 'the settled will of the Scottish people' and committed Labour to delivering it. His death in 1994 meant he never saw it, but his commitment bound…0i
  4. 4Kenyon WrightKenyon WrightAn Episcopal canon, Wright chaired the executive of the Scottish Constitutional Convention from 1989, which brought Labour, the Liberal Democrats, churches, unions and local councils together (the SNP and Conservatives stayed out) to draft the scheme that became the 1998 Scotland Act. His most…0
  5. 5Michael Forsyth, Baron Forsyth of DrumleanMichael Forsyth, Baron Forsyth of DrumleanBorn 16 Oct 1954The most articulate opponent. As Conservative Scottish Secretary from 1995, Forsyth argued that a parliament would be a 'slippery slope' to independence and campaigned for the 'tartan tax' warning, which forced Labour to add a separate referendum question on tax-varying powers. He also tried to…0i
  6. 6Donald DewarDonald DewarBorn 21 Aug 1937As Scottish Secretary from 1997, Dewar wrote the white paper, won the referendum by 74 per cent for a parliament and 63 per cent for tax powers, and steered the Scotland Act 1998 through the Commons. Its key design choice, listing only the powers reserved to Westminster so that everything else was…0i
  7. 7David SteelDavid SteelBorn 31 Mar 1938Steel co-chaired the Scottish Constitutional Convention for the Liberal Democrats, securing proportional representation in exchange for his party's support, which guaranteed that no single party would easily dominate the new parliament. He then became its first Presiding Officer from 1999 to 2003,…0i
  8. 8Jim Wallace, Baron Wallace of TankernessJim Wallace, Baron Wallace of TankernessBorn 25 Aug 1954As Liberal Democrat leader and Deputy First Minister from 1999 to 2005, Wallace made the first Holyrood coalitions work and three times served as acting First Minister. The partnership agreements he negotiated produced the abolition of up-front university tuition fees in Scotland and free personal…0i
  9. 9Jack McConnellJack McConnellBorn 30 Jun 1960First Minister from 2001 to 2007, McConnell used devolved powers for the smoking ban in enclosed public places, introduced in March 2006 ahead of England, and the Fresh Talent scheme to attract migrants to Scotland. His government's quiet competence after the turbulence of Dewar's death and Henry…0i
  10. 10Alex SalmondAlex SalmondBorn 31 Dec 1954Salmond took the SNP into government in 2007 as a minority administration, then won the outright majority in 2011 that the electoral system was supposed to prevent, which led to the Edinburgh Agreement with David Cameron and the 2014 independence referendum, lost 55 to 45. He used devolution as a…0i