Margaret Ewing

**Margaret Anne Ewing** (*née* **McAdam**, umwhile **Bain**; 1 September 1945 – 21 Mairch 2006) wis a Scottish teacher, jurnalist an politician. She serrt as a Scots National Pairty (SNP) Memmer o Pairlament for East Dunbartonshire frae 1974 tae 1979 an Moray frae 1987 tae 2001, an wis Memmer o the Scots Pairlament for Moray frae 1999 until 2006.

Ewing wis Deputy Leader o the Scots National Pairty frae 1984 tae 1987 an leader o the SNP pairlamentary group in the House of Commons frae 1987 tae 1999. She wis a candidate for the SNP heidship in 1990.

## Early life an thrift
Ewing wis born Margaret Anne McAdam in Lanrik, the dochtor o John McAdam, a ferm labourer. She wis eddicatit at Biggar High School. At the age o twalv she wis diagnosed wi tuberculosis wi a thirteen-month stay in hospital acause o this. She went on tae study at the University o Glesga, graduatin wi an MA degree in Inglis leid an leiterature.

She wis an Inglis teacher at St Modan's High School in Stirlin frae 1970 tae 1973, afore serrin as principal teacher o remedial eddication frae 1973 tae 1974.

## Political thrift
She jynt the Scots National Pairty as a student in 1966 an wis preses o the student group at the university. She wis electit as Memmer o Pairlament (MP) for East Dunbartonshire at the October 1974 election, bi juist 22 votes, whan she wis kent as Margaret Bain; she haed failt tae win the seat at the previous election in Februar. In 1976, during a devolution debate, she tauld the Hoose o Commons that she identified as a Scot, a European an " a citizen of the world", but didnae "feel British" and haed "never identified... as British". At ane pynt she stairtit greetin in the Hoose o Commons whan a devolution proposal wis defeatit. At the 1979 Election she lost her seat in the Hoose o Commons. Efter haein thrift for a period as an administrator in social services in Glesga, she contestit the Strathkelvin and Bearsden constituency at the 1983 Election but lost.

She then wirked as a freelance jurnalist. Noo kent as Margaret Ewing, she wis waled bi the SNP as their candidate for Moray at the 1987 election. She wis re-electit tae Wastmeinster an again in 1992 an 1997, haudin this seat until demittin at the 2001 general election tae focus on Halyruid. She stuidd for the heidship o the SNP in 1990 but lost tae Alex Salmond despite the backin o mony prominent SNP memmers (sic as Jim Sillars). Ewing haed become leader o the SNP's pairlamentary group efter the 1987 election. The leadership vacancy happent acause the SNP Chairman Gordon Wilson haed lost his seat at Dundee Dundee East an foregaun group leader Donald Stewart haed retired frae pairlament. Whiles the three SNP MPs electit in 1987 haednae been memmers o the previous previous pairlament, baith Ewing an Andrew Welsh haed serrt in pairlament in the past. A post-election meeting haudit at Perth atween Ewing, Welsh, Salmond (newly elected as MP for Banff and Buchan) an Wilson led tae Ewing's appyntment wi Welsh becomin the group's chief whip.

In 1999, at the first Scots Pairlament Election she wis waled tae represent Moray. She wis electit again in 2003.

In August 2005 she annoonced that she wisnae seeking reelection in the 2007 Scots Pairlament elections. The SNP kept her vacant seat at the by-election that teuk place on 27 Aprile 2006.

## Daith
She deet frae cancer o the breist, aged 60, on 21 Mairch 2006.

## Faimily
She wis mairriet twice: firstly tae Donald Bain, a SNP resairch officer in 1968 (divorced 1980), an secondly to Fergus Ewing in 1983, that is the son o Winnie Ewing an whit becam a Memmer o the Scots Pairlament anaa. Her sister-in-law Annabelle Ewing is an SNP politician as weel.

## References

## Fremmit airtins

* Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Margaret Ewing
* SNP tribute page
* SNP veteran Margaret Ewing dies (BBC)
*Times obituary via internet archive
* Telegraph obituary