Donald James Stewart (17 October 1920 – 23 August 1992) was Scottish National Party (SNP) Member of Parliament (MP) from 1970-87 for the Western Isles. He also served as President of the Scottish National Party from 1982-87. He was a councillor in Stornoway for many years and twice served as the town's provost.
Early life
Stewart was born on 17 October 1920 in Stornoway, Western Isles, Scotland. He was educated at the Nicolson Institute. Stewart left school at sixteen years of age to work as a junior clerk in a local solicitor's office, before going on to work in the office of Kenneth Mackenzie Ltd, a Stornoway Harris Tweed firm. He saw active service during the Second World War with the Royal Navy, serving on the corvette HMS Celandine for the duration of the war. Following the war, he returned to Kenneth Mackenzie Ltd, eventually becoming a director. He remained with the firm until his election to Parliament in 1970.
Political career
A lifelong socialist, Stewart became convinced of the case for Scottish independence at the 1935 United Kingdom general election, and joined the Scottish National Party the following year.
Stewart was the SNP's sole Westminster representative from 1970 until he was joined by Margo MacDonald who won Glasgow Govan at 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 later that year, the SNP returned a record eleven MPs. Stewart became the SNP parliamentary group leader, with William Wolfe as the Scottish National Party leader. In 1977, Donald Stewart was appointed as a Privy Counsellor. When the amendment came to a vote, Stewart and the SNP's other MP Gordon Wilson both voted against the decriminalisation of homosexual acts.
In 1981, Stewart attempted to introduce some provisions for Gaelic through a private members bill, but it was met with hostility from the Conservatives and talked out by Bill Walker. although he continued to represent the Western Isles until 1987. At the 1987 general election, his successor as SNP candidate, Ian Smith, then the party's Spokesman on Transport; was defeated by Calum MacDonald of the Labour Party. The SNP vote dropped by 26% and the constituency saw an SNP to Labour swing of 19.6% in what was included by election analysts David Butler and Robert Waller as among the "exceptional results" seen in "individual constituencies" in that election.
Labour held it until the 2005 general election when it was regained by Angus MacNeil of the SNP.
Upon his retirement from Parliament, Stewart was offered a Life Peerage, but declined.
Personal life
He married Christina MacAulay.