Donald Dewar
Leader of the Labour Party in Scotland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In office 7 May 1999 – 11 October 2000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
UK party leader | Tony Blair | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Position established | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Henry McLeish | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Secretary of State for Scotland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 2 May 1997 – 17 May 1999 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister | Tony Blair | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Michael Forsyth | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | John Reid | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Donald Campbell Dewar 21 August 1937 Cerebral hemorrhage | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Political party | Scottish Labour | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Spouse |
Alison McNair
(m. 1964; div. 1973) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Children | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Education | University of Glasgow | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Signature | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Secretary of State for Scotland
First Minister of Scotland
Term
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Donald Campbell Dewar (21 August 1937 – 11 October 2000) was a Scottish statesman and politician who served as the inaugural
Born in Glasgow, Dewar studied history, and later law, at the University of Glasgow. Before entering politics, he worked as a solicitor in Glasgow. At the age of 28, he was elected to the British House of Commons, representing Aberdeen South from 1966 to 1970. After losing his seat, he returned to law and hosted his own Friday evening talk show on Radio Clyde. Dewar was re-elected in the 1978 Glasgow Garscadden by-election and served as the MP until his death in 2000. Following Labour's landslide victory in 1997, he was appointed Secretary of State for Scotland by Prime Minister Tony Blair. As the Scottish secretary, he was an advocate of Scottish devolution, and campaigned for a Scottish Parliament in the 1997 Scottish devolution referendum. Following a successful campaign, Dewar worked on creating the Scotland Act 1998.
Dewar led the Labour campaign through the first Scottish Parliament election and was elected a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Glasgow Anniesland. On 7 May 1999, he was appointed Leader of the Labour Party in Scotland and he led coalition talks with the Scottish Liberal Democrats. Following successful talks, the Labour-Liberal Democrat coalition was announced. Dewar was elected as first minister on 13 May 1999, by a vote of the parliament, and formed the first Scottish Executive cabinet. As first minister, he set out the legislative programme for the Executive which included: an Education bill to improve standards in Scottish schools; land reform to give right of access to the countryside, a bill to abolish the feudal system of land tenure; and a bill to establish national parks in Scotland.[3]
On 10 October 2000, Dewar sustained a fall, and the following day he died of a
Early life and education
Donald Campbell Dewar was born on Saturday, 21 August 1937 in Glasgow.
Dewar attended a small school in the
In 1957, Dewar attended the
Dewar was an editor of the
In 1961, Dewar gained a
Early political career
Member of Parliament
Dewar was a member of the
In his maiden speech to the House of Commons on 4 May 1966,[15] Dewar spoke against a proposed increase on potato tax. His speech became his first political success: as the tax was repealed the following year. Also in 1967, Dewar was made a Parliamentary Private Secretary to the President of the Board of Trade, Anthony Crosland.[16]
Dewar remained in that position at the Department of Education until 1969, in which year he opposed a visit to Aberdeen by the Springbok rugby team and staged a silent vigil near the team's ground. In April 1968, he was proposed for a Minister of State position by Roy Jenkins, but was not appointed. Dewar lost his constituency seat to the Conservative candidate Iain Sproat at the 1970 general election by over 1,000 votes.
Out of parliament
Dewar spent much of the 1970s looking for another parliamentary seat. He hosted a Friday evening talk show on
Return to Westminster
Donald Dewar was selected for the seat of
Opposition
Dewar gained a parliamentary platform as chairman of the Scottish Affairs Select Committee. After a year honing his inquisitorial skills, he joined the front bench in November 1980 as a Scottish affairs spokesman when Michael Foot became party leader. In 1981, as the Labour Party divided itself further due to internal disagreement, Dewar was almost deselected in his constituency by hard left activists, but he successfully defended himself against this threat.
He rose quickly through the ranks, becoming Shadow Scottish Secretary in November 1983. On 21 December 1988, Dewar was in Lockerbie after the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103,[17] as the member of the Shadow Cabinet in charge of Scottish affairs. In 1992, John Smith made him Shadow Social security Secretary and three years later, Dewar was made a Chief Whip for the Labour Party by Tony Blair.
Secretary of State for Scotland; 1997–1999
At the 1997 general election, he became MP for Glasgow Anniesland, which was mostly the same constituency with minor boundary changes. Labour won this election by a landslide, and Dewar was given the post of Secretary of State for Scotland. He was able to start the devolution process he dreamt of years earlier, and worked on creating the Scotland Act, popularly referred to as "Smith's unfinished business". When ratified, this was to give Scotland its first Parliament for nearly 300 years.
1999 Scottish Parliament election
In January 1998, he confirmed that he would stand for a seat in the Scottish Parliament.[18] The first elections to the Scottish Parliament were held on 6 May 1999, with Dewar leading the Scottish Labour Party against their main opponents, the Scottish National Party led by Alex Salmond. He was elected as the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Glasgow Anniesland, having the unusual distinction of being both an MP and MSP for the same constituency.
First Minister of Scotland
'There shall be a Scottish parliament.' Through long years, those words were first a hope, then a belief, then a promise. Now they are a reality.
—Dewar, at the official opening of the Scottish Parliament on 1 July 1999.[19]
On 13 May 1999, Dewar was elected by the
Entering government
Although Scottish Labour won more seats than any other party, they did not have a majority in Parliament to allow them to form an Executive without the help of a smaller party. A deal was agreed with the Scottish Liberal Democrats to form a coalition, with Dewar agreeing to their demand for the abolition of up front tuition fees for university students.[23]
On 13 May 1999, Dewar was nominated as first minister, and was officially appointed by the Queen on 17 May at a ceremony in the
Legislation proposals
On 16 June, Dewar set out the legislative programme for the Executive which included: an Education bill to improve standards in Scottish schools; land reform to give right of access to the countryside, a bill to abolish the feudal system of land tenure; and a bill to establish national parks in Scotland.[3]
Lobbygate scandal
One of the first scandals to hit the new Scottish Parliament occurred when allegations that the lobbying arm of public relations company Beattie Media had privileged access to ministers were published, prompting Dewar to ask the standards committee to investigate the reports.[25] The minister for finance, Jack McConnell, was called to appear before the standards committee during the investigation although he was later cleared of any wrongdoing and the committee declared there was no evidence he had been influenced from lobbying by Beattie Media.[26]
Dewar also threatened to sack any minister or aide who briefed the media against another member of the Scottish Executive, following public rows between Jack McConnell and Health Minister Susan Deacon over the budget allocated to health .[27]
2000 SQA examinations controversy
The introduction in Scotland of the reformed examinations system in 2000 was criticised in the press and by the Government after a series of administrative and computer errors led to several thousand incorrect Higher and Intermediate certificates being sent out by post. The crisis took several months to resolve, and several management figures including the Chief Executive, Ron Tuck, resigned or lost their jobs as a result.[citation needed]
International affairs
Foreign visits and trips
# | Country | Areas visited | Dates | Details[28] |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Belgium | Brussels | October 10–13, 1999 | Scotland Week events, as well as addressing the Democratic renewal seminar |
2 | Ireland | Dublin | October 29, 1999 | Meeting with the Taoiseach |
3 | Netherlands | December 8, 1999 | Gave the William and Mary lecture and met with the Dutch Justice Minister | |
4 | Japan | April 10 – 14, 2000 | Inward Investment visit | |
5 | Ireland | Dublin | September 29, 2000 | Delivered speech to the Irish-Scottish Academic Initiative |
Personal life
On 20 July 1964, Dewar married Alison Mary McNair, with whom he had two children: a daughter, Marion, and a son, Ian. In 1972, McNair separated from Dewar and entered a relationship with the then
In September 2009, Dennis Canavan said Dewar reacted callously when Canavan's son was diagnosed with skin cancer in 1989. The disease eventually killed him. Canavan said Dewar remarked, "Oh no! That's all we need. He was mad enough before but I shudder to think what he'll be like now."[30]
Dewar amassed a personal fortune in excess of £2,000,000 including public utility shares, antiques and artwork with a value of over £400,000.[31]
Death and funeral
In early 2000, Dewar was admitted to the Glasgow Royal Infirmary after tests at Stobhill Hospital highlighted "minor irregularity" in his heart.[32][33] In May 2000, tests revealed he had a faulty aortic valve and he underwent a four hour heart operation to repair a leaking heart valve.[34] His personal spokesperson, David Whitton, stated "he is as concerned about his health as anyone else would be". Although Dewar was not going under surgery, considerations over whether to cancel foreign trips to Japan were under close watch.[35]
Dewar was forced to take a three-month break and Deputy First Minister
Dewar dealt with the
On 10 October 2000, Dewar sustained a seemingly harmless fall outside his official residence at
Funeral
Dewar's funeral service was held at Glasgow Cathedral, he was cremated on 18 October 2000 and his ashes were scattered at Lochgilphead in Argyll.[46][47]
Guests
Royal family
Heads of government
- Tony Blair, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and Cherie Blair[48]
- Jim Wallace, Acting First Minister of Scotland[49]
- Bertie Ahern, Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister)[48]
- First Minister of Northern Ireland[49]
Politicians
- Members of the Scottish Executive Cabinet, including;[48]
- Minister for Communities[49]
- Henry McLeish, Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning[49]
- Members of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom, including;
- John Swinney, Leader of the Scottish National Party[49]
- Charles Kennedy, Leader of the Liberal Democrats[49]
- Neil Kinnock, Former Leader of the Labour Party[49]
- Menzies Campbell, Liberal Democrats Member of Parliament[49]
- James Douglas-Hamilton, Conservative Member of Parliament[49]
Other dignitaries
- Ruth Wishart, Broadcaster and friend[48]
- Lord Robertson, Secretary General of NATO[49]
- Alastair Campbell, Downing Street Press Secretary[49]
- Lord Hardie, Senator of the College of Justice[49]
- General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC)[49]
Reactions and aftermath
Dewar's death came as a shock to Scotland. UK Foreign Secretary described his death as "a tragedy for Donald and a tragedy for Scotland." Henry McLeish said: "this is a day of enormous sadness for Scotland and for me personally. Donald was devolution. The architect of the most successful constitutional change this century."[50]
"Although he has become something of a political legend, Donald would have abhorred any attempt to turn him into some kind of secular saint. He would have been horrified at a Diana-style out-pouring of synthetic grief at his untimely death." — Iain Macwhirter, Sunday Herald, 15 October 2000.
Dewar was succeeded by Henry McLeish as First Minister.[51]
Legacy
Dewar's commitment to re-establishing the Scottish Parliament and his tireless work on the Scotland Act 1998 has led to his epithet the "Father of the Nation" and the "Father of Devolution".[52][53][54][55][56] His advocacy for Scottish devolution began in the 1960s, at a time when devolution was fairly unpopular among Labour politicians. However, he persevered to gain support from all parties.[57] Although Dewar did not associate with Scottish nationalism or support attempts for independence, he was a "great unionist" and saw the new Parliament as a "journey not a destination", which left many Labour supporters questioning devolution.[58] His leadership prioritised semi-proportional representation for Scottish parliamentary elections. At the time, many thought this, and devolution, would "end the Scottish National Party's success". However, in the late-2000s Labour's popularity plummeted in Scotland while the SNP's popularity grew rapidly.[53]
Dewar received nicknames such as "Donald Dour" for his stiff, matter-of-fact tone and "The Gannet" due to his large appetite.[60]
In May 2002, then Prime Minister Tony Blair unveiled a statue of Dewar at the top of Glasgow's Buchanan Street. In keeping with his famously unkempt appearance, it showed Dewar wearing a slightly crumpled jacket.[61]
The statue was taken down in October 2005 to be cleaned, and was re-erected on a 6-foot (1.8 m) high plinth in December to protect it from vandalism. On the base of the statue was inscribed the opening words of the Scotland Act: "There Shall Be A Scottish Parliament", a phrase to which Dewar himself famously said, "I like that!"
Dewar called the
The First ScotRail Class 334 train 334001 was named Donald Dewar in his memory. The "Dewar Arts Award" was created by the Scottish Executive in 2002 dedicated to his memory. This award supports talented young Scottish artists.[62]
Notes
- Jim Wallaceacted from 11 October 2000 to 27 October 2000
References
- ^ "Parliamentary career for Donald Dewar - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament". members.parliament.uk. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
- ^ "Donald Dewar". www.parliament.scot. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
- ^ a b BBC News, 1999b
- ^ Birth certificate of Donald Campbell Dewar, 21 August 1987, Glasgow, Milton 644/10 1094 – National Records of Scotland
- ^ a b "Obituary: Donald Dewar". the Guardian. 12 October 2000. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
- ^ "TheGlasgowStory: 1950s to The Present Day: Personalities: Donald Dewar". www.theglasgowstory.com. Archived from the original on 29 October 2015. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
- ^ "Donald Dewar: Obituary". The Independent. 11 October 2000. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
- ^ Allan 2000, para. 5
- ^ Guardian Staff (11 October 2000). "A bookish man always destined for the highest office". the Guardian. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
- ^ "Glasgow Academy". Guide to Independent Schools. 8 February 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
- ^ "Site for Donald Dewar". HeraldScotland. 25 September 2003. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
- ^ "Donald Dewar: Scottish Parliament's founding father". www.scotsman.com. 23 January 2017. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
- ^ a b c "University of Glasgow :: Story :: Biography of Donald Dewar". www.universitystory.gla.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 25 July 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
- ^ Chambers Biographical Dictionary, 2007
- ^ "Donald Dewar – 1966 Maiden Speech in the House of Commons – UKPOL.CO.UK". 26 November 2015.
- ^ "The Rt Hon Donald Dewar MA LLB MP MSP". Scottish Parliament. 1 October 1999. Archived from the original on 1 October 1999. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
- ^ The Scottish Government, 1998
- ^ "Dewar to stand for Scottish parliament". BBC News. 8 January 2008. Archived from the original on 9 April 2003. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
- ^ Oxford Dictionary of Modern Quotations
- ^ "BBC News | UK Politics | Dewar wins top job". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ^ "University of Glasgow :: World Changing:: First Minister of Scotland 1999-2000". www.worldchanging.glasgow.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ^ "BBC News | UK Politics | Dewar appointed as first minister". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ^ The Guardian, 1999
- ^ BBC News, 1999a
- ^ "Probe launched into lobbying allegations" Archived 22 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine, BBC News
- ^ "Scotland Standards watchdog clears McConnell" Archived 15 December 2003 at the Wayback Machine BBC News
- ^ Public Finance- 14 July 2000 Archived 7 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Publications".
- ^ Guerre, Mémoires de. "Donald Dewar: Obituary - Memoires de guerre". Mémoires de Guerre (in French). Archived from the original on 2 October 2021. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
- ^ Allan, Charlie (12 October 2000). "A man apart, yet a man of the people". The Herald. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016.
- ^ Womersley, Tara (2 July 2001). "£2m legacy of Dewar, the canniest of Scots". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 23 March 2014.
- ^ "Donald Dewar's year of ill health". the Guardian. 11 October 2000. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
- ^ "BBC NEWS | In Depth | Donald Dewar | Dewar undergoes heart tests". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ^ "Dewar to have heart surgery". The Irish Times. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
- ^ "Donald Dewar's year of ill health". the Guardian. 11 October 2000. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
- ^ "BBC News | SCOTLAND | Dewar takes post-op steps". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ^ "BBC News | SCOTLAND | Timeline: Donald Dewar's death". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
- ^ Leonard, Richard (11 October 2020). "Donald Dewar died 20 years ago today but his vision of social justice lives on". Daily Record. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
- ^ "BBC NEWS | In Depth | Donald Dewar | First Minister returns to the fray". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ^ "Scottish First Minister's address at the Trinity College, 29/09/2000".
- ^ "Donald Dewar" Archived 13 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Electronic Scotland, October 2000
- ^ "Donald Dewar critically ill after fall on pavement". The Independent. 10 October 2000. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
- ^ "Dewar fights for his life". HeraldScotland. 11 October 2000. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
- ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
- ^ "Remembering Donald Dewar - a decade on". BBC News. 3 October 2010. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
- ^ "Dewar to have cathedral funeral". the Guardian. 13 October 2000. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
- ^ "Laughter and tears for Donald Dewar". the Guardian. 19 October 2000. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f "Laughter and tears for Donald Dewar". the Guardian. 19 October 2000. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "BBC NEWS | In Depth | Donald Dewar | A nation says goodbye". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
- ^ "BBC NEWS | In Depth | Donald Dewar | Tributes flood in". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
- ^ "BBC News | SCOTLAND | McLeish wins first minister title". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
- ^ McFadyen, Andrew (8 October 2004). "Donald Dewar, Father of a Nation?". BBC News. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
- ^ a b Alex, Michael; er (10 October 2020). "Legacy of Donald Dewar, 'the father of devolution' remembered on 20th anniversary of death". The Courier. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
- ^ Davidson, Jenni (4 October 2019). "Profile: Donald Dewar the architect of the Scottish Parliament". Holyrood Website. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
- ^ "'Father of nation' dies". BBC News. 11 October 2000. Archived from the original on 17 December 2006. Retrieved 29 March 2010.
- ^ Grice, Andrew (12 October 2000). "The Father of the Nation, who made good on the unfinished business of devolution". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 17 September 2009. Retrieved 29 March 2010.
- ^ "The Legacy of Donald Dewar and Scotland's Stories: Past, Present and Future". Gerry Hassan - writing, research, policy and ideas. 12 October 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
- ^ "Not forgotten: A look at Donald Dewar's legacy, 20 years on from his untimely death". Retrieved 19 September 2022 – via PressReader.
- ^ BBC News 2002
- ^ "BBC NEWS | UK | UK Politics | Dewar reaches the top". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ^ "Blair unveils Dewar memorial". 7 May 2002. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ^ "The Dewar Awards". Dewar Awards. Archived from the original on 24 June 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
Sources
- Hutcheon, Paul (3 August 2009). "Dewar savaged as 'hypocritical and petty' in Canavan book". The Herald. Glasgow.[permanent dead link]
- Torrance, David (2006), The Scottish Secretaries, Birlinn
- "Lockerbie Bombing: 10th Anniversary". Edinburgh: Government of the United Kingdom. 22 December 1998.
- "Lawyer in Irvine". Irvine: Usman. 21 December 1999.
- MacAskill, Ewen; Seenan, Gerard (14 May 1999). "PR deal will end councils stranglehold". The Guardian. London.
- "UK Politics – Dewar appointed as first minister". BBC News. 17 May 1999. a.
- "Dewar's statement to Parliament". BBC News. 16 June 1999. b.
External links
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Donald Dewar
- Scottish Parliament profiles of MSPs: Donald Dewar