Letters / Rest in peace, Winnie Ewing
In 1967, when Winnie won the Hamilton by-election, she famously said, ‘Stop the World, Scotland wants to get on’.
The win was the start of the rise of the SNP with Independence becoming an election issue.
Winnie is the only politician to have been a member of the Westminster Parliament, the European Parliament and the Scottish Parliament.
In 1999, as the oldest sitting MSP, Winnie announced the formal opening of the Scottish Parliament with, ‘The Scottish Parliament, adjourned on the 25th day of March in the year 1707, is hereby reconvened’.
That Scotland is not independent is not Winnie’s fault, that blame can be squarely placed at the door of the modern SNP. Elected SNP members have settled down to devolution, and the careers and gravy train that goes with that. When Winnie was elected, the SNP believed in independence, what do they stand for now?
Winnie was discussing some issue when Harald Wilson told her to settle down, she replied that she was in Westminster not to settle down, but to settle up.
The modern SNP, under the guidance of Nicola Sturgeon, lost their way, lost their objective, and have settled down. If you believe in independence, look somewhere other than the SNP because they no longer believe in independence.
Brian Nugent
Hamnavoe
