Donald Stewart

Who was Donald Stewart?

Donald James Stewart was Scottish National Party Member of Parliament from 1970 to 1987 for the Western Isles. He also served as President of the Scottish National Party from 1982 to 1987.

Born in Stornoway, Western Isles, Scotland in 1920, Stewart became convinced of the case for Scottish independence at the United Kingdom general election 1935, and joined the SNP the following year. Left-leaning by political conviction, he subsequently joined the Labour Party, but remained a member for only a short time before rejoining the SNP.

He saw active service during the Second World War with the Royal Navy, remaining an SNP member throughout. He returned to Stornoway where he served as a councillor for many years before election as an SNP MP in the United Kingdom general election, 1970. He was the SNP's first ever MP returned at a general election, and the last declared result in 1970, which caused great attention in the media.

Stewart was the SNP's sole Westminster representative from 1970 until he was joined by Margo MacDonald who won Glasgow Govan in the by-election of 1973. At the February 1974 General Election he was joined by six other SNP MPs, and at the October General Election of that year this number increased to eleven. Stewart became the SNP parliamentary group leader, with William Wolfe as the SNP leader overall.