Humza Yousaf hails Winnie Ewing as a 'giant' of the Scottish independence movement
dailyrecord.co.ukMSPs have paid tribute to trailblazing SNP politician Winnie Ewing in Holyrood.The former parliamentarian passed away aged 93 in June.Tributes were made to Ewing by Humza Yousaf and her daughter Annabelle Ewing, who is an SNP MSP and a Deputy Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament.Tory MSP Murdo Fraser and Scottish Labour Deputy leader Jackie Baillie, Scottish Greens MSP Gillian Mackay and Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton also made contributions.Ewing was credited with helping to turn the Nationalists from a fringe protest movement into a modern political party capable of winning elections.She served as an MP, MEP and MSP in a career spanning nearly 40 years.Yousaf said: "With her passing, my party mourns the loss of a giant of our movement, both in terms of contribution and sheer force of personality."But equally, Scotland as a whole has lost the relentless champion and a true pioneer."Yousaf also mentioned that Ewing was asked to be involved in the removal of the Stone of Destiny from London to Scotland in 1950, but that "the only thing that prevented Winnie Ewing from making that journey was that she did not have a driver's licence.
Her victory at the 1967 Hamilton by-election was one of the biggest upsets in 20th century British politics.The result stunned a Labour party which had come to dominate elections in Scotland in the post-war era.Her son Fergus, who is also an MSP, was sitting next to his sister Annabelle while she spoke in the chamber.Annabelle said: "Winnie demonstrated that a woman's place was wherever she chose it to be, including in politics."Perhaps what is less well known is that Winnie personally inspired many women to stand for elections, some of whom I see round the chamber today."S
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