Winnie Ewing

As the oldest qualified member, it was her duty to preside over the opening of the Scottish Parliament, a session she opened with the statement: "The Scottish Parliament, adjourned on the 25th day of March in the year 1707, is hereby reconvened".

Winifred Margaret Ewing (10 July 1929 – 21 June 2023) was a Scottish politician, lawyer and figure within the independence movement who served as President of the Scottish National Party from 1987 to 2005.

Ewing was born Winifred Margaret Woodburn on 10 July 1929 in Glasgow, to Christina Bell Anderson and George Woodburn, a small business owner.

She was educated at Battlefield School and Queen's Park Secondary School.

In 1946 she matriculated at the University of Glasgow where she graduated with an MA and LLB.

Although relatively inactive in politics at that time, she joined the Student Nationalists.

Following her graduation, she qualified and practised as a solicitor and notary public.

After graduating, she worked as a lawyer, serving as Secretary of the Glasgow Bar Association from 1962 to 1967.

She was Secretary of the Glasgow Bar Association from 1962 to 1967.

She was also a member of the British House of Commons for Hamilton from a 1967 by-election until 1970, and for Moray and Nairn from 1974 to 1979.

Born and raised in Glasgow, Ewing studied law at the University of Glasgow, where she joined the university's Scottish Nationalist Association.

Ewing was elected to the House of Commons in the 1967 Hamilton by-election and her presence at Westminster led to a rise in membership for the SNP, from her quote; "stop the world, Scotland wants to get on".

Ewing became active in campaigning for Scottish independence through her membership of the Glasgow University Scottish Nationalist Association, and won the 1967 Hamilton by-election as the Scottish National Party (SNP) candidate.

She was elected with the help of a team including her election agent, John McAteer.

On 16 November, she made her first appearance at Westminster, with her husband and children accompanying her on the journey.

She arrived at the parliament in a Scottish-built Hillman Imp and was greeted by a crowd and a pipe band.

Ewing said at the time "stop the world, Scotland wants to get on", and her presence at Westminster led to a rise in membership for the SNP.

It was speculated that Ewing's electoral gain led to the establishment of the Kilbrandon Commission by the Labour government of Harold Wilson to look into the viability of a devolved Scottish Assembly.

In hindsight it could be said to mark the start of modern politics in Scotland, according to Professor Richard Finlay of Strathclyde University, bringing young people and women from non-political backgrounds into politics for the first time, whilst Labour and Tory party organisation and branch numbers were declining.

Although she lost her seat in the 1970 UK election, she was re-elected in February 1974, this time for the Moray and Nairn constituency.

Despite her high profile, Ewing was unsuccessful in retaining the Hamilton seat at the 1970 general election.

At the following February 1974 election she stood for Moray and Nairn and was returned to Westminster, although another election followed in October of the same year when her already marginal majority declined.

Following the October election she was announced as the SNP's spokesperson on external affairs and the EEC.

She first became an MEP in 1975, at a time when the European Parliament was still composed of representative delegations from national parliaments.

Ewing lost her seat in the 1979 election and, after making numerous attempts to seek re-election, she failed to do so.

Ewing was elected to the European Parliament in the 1979 elections, representing the Highlands and Islands.

In the parliament, she acquired the nickname because of her advocacy of Scottish interests at Brussels.

She lost her Westminster seat at the May 1979 election, but within weeks had gained a seat in the European Parliament at the first direct elections to the Parliament.

Ewing was unsuccessful at seeking to return to Westminster as the SNP candidate for Orkney and Shetland in 1983, coming third.

In 1987, she became the President of the Scottish National Party, succeeding Ian Hudghton.

Ewing was elected the SNP Party President in 1987.

It was during her time as an MEP that she acquired the nickname Madame Écosse (French for 'Mrs Scotland') because of her advocacy of Scottish interests in Strasbourg and Brussels.

That sobriquet was first used by Le Monde and with Ewing using the term as a badge of pride, it stuck.

She served as Vice President of the European Radical Alliance and by 1995 had become Britain's longest serving MEP.

In the first elections to the Scottish Parliament, she was elected to serve as an MSP for Highlands and Islands.

As the oldest qualified member, it was her duty to preside over the opening of the Scottish Parliament.

By 1995 she had become Britain's longest serving MEP.

She served as Vice President of the European Radical Alliance, which in addition to the SNP also included French, Belgian, Italian and Spanish MEPs.

Ewing was a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Highlands and Islands from 1999 to 2003 and a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the equivalent seat from 1979 to 1999.

In 1999, she did not stand for the European Parliament, instead becoming a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) in the first session of the Scottish Parliament, representing the Highlands and Islands.