Donald Campbell Dewar (21 August 1937 – 11 October 2000) was a Scottish politician who served as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish Labour Party from 1999 to 2000.
He was succeeded as First Minister and Scottish Labour leader by Henry McLeish. Often regarded as the father of the nation, Dewar is known for his work and commitment to the re-establishment of the Scottish Parliament and being the inaugural First Minister of Scotland. ==Early life and career== Dewar was born in Glasgow on 21 August 1937 as the only child of Alasdair (1897–1973) and Mary Dewar (née Bennett).
He was also Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the equivalent seat from 1999 to 2000. Dewar first entered politics in the early 1960s and was elected as Member of Parliament for Aberdeen South at the 1966 general election.
In 1962, he was selected as the Labour candidate for the Aberdeen South constituency.
In the 1964 general election, he failed to win the seat, but won it at the 1966 general election at the age of 28—defeating Priscilla Tweedsmuir by 1,799 votes. In his maiden speech to the House of Commons in the same year, Dewar spoke against a proposed increase on potato tax.
This award supports talented young Scottish artists. ==Personal life== On 20 July 1964, Dewar married Alison Mary McNair, with whom he had two children: a daughter, Marion, and a son, Ian.
He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Aberdeen South from 1966 to 1970 and for Glasgow Anniesland, formerly Glasgow Garscadden, from 1978 to 2000.
He was also Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the equivalent seat from 1999 to 2000. Dewar first entered politics in the early 1960s and was elected as Member of Parliament for Aberdeen South at the 1966 general election.
In the 1964 general election, he failed to win the seat, but won it at the 1966 general election at the age of 28—defeating Priscilla Tweedsmuir by 1,799 votes. In his maiden speech to the House of Commons in the same year, Dewar spoke against a proposed increase on potato tax.
His speech became his first political success: as the tax was repealed the following year in 1967.
Also in 1967, Dewar was made a Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Education Secretary Anthony Crosland, with whom Dewar later confessed to having never establishing a rapport with, as Dewar said Crosland was a "very odd man". 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.
Also in 1967, Dewar was made a Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Education Secretary Anthony Crosland, with whom Dewar later confessed to having never establishing a rapport with, as Dewar said Crosland was a "very odd man". 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.
He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Aberdeen South from 1966 to 1970 and for Glasgow Anniesland, formerly Glasgow Garscadden, from 1978 to 2000.
After losing his seat in 1970, he served in the House of Commons again from 1978 until his death in 2000.
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 Radio Clyde, and in June 1971 was beaten by Dennis Canavan when he applied for the seat of West Stirlingshire.
In 1972, McNair separated from Dewar and entered a relationship with the then Derry Irvine, a prominent Scottish barrister in London.
Dewar and his wife divorced in 1973, and he never remarried.
Dewar became a partner in Ross Harper Murphy, in 1975. ===Return to Westminster=== Donald Dewar was selected for the seat Glasgow Garscadden by a majority of three, after Dewar's friend in the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers MP Willie Small died unexpectedly.
He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Aberdeen South from 1966 to 1970 and for Glasgow Anniesland, formerly Glasgow Garscadden, from 1978 to 2000.
After losing his seat in 1970, he served in the House of Commons again from 1978 until his death in 2000.
He was returned to parliament at a by-election on 13 April 1978, a crucial victory which was seen as halting the rise of the Scottish National Party.
In Scotland's first referendum on devolution, held in March 1979, he campaigned for a "Yes" vote alongside the Conservative Alick Buchanan-Smith and the Liberal Russell Johnston.
Though they won a narrow majority, it fell short of the 40% required, contributing to the downfall of the Callaghan Government, in May 1979. ===Opposition=== Dewar gained a parliamentary platform as chairman of the Scottish Affairs Select Committee.
On the base of the statue were 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 Old Royal High School on Calton Hill in Edinburgh a "nationalist shibboleth", mainly because it had been the proposed site of the Scottish Assembly in the 1979 referendum.
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.
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, as the member of the Shadow Cabinet in charge of Scottish affairs.
Dewar and Lord Irvine of Lairg never reconciled, even though they later served in the same Cabinet from May 1997 until 1999. In September 2009, Dennis Canavan said Dewar reacted callously when his son was diagnosed with skin cancer in 1989.
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. ===In government=== At the 1997 general election, he became MP for Glasgow Anniesland, which was mostly the same constituency with minor boundary changes.
He previously served as Secretary of State for Scotland from 1997 to 1999.
He served as Secretary of State for Scotland in British Prime Minister Tony Blair's Cabinet from 1997 to 1999.
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. ===In government=== At the 1997 general election, he became MP for Glasgow Anniesland, which was mostly the same constituency with minor boundary changes.
Dewar and Lord Irvine of Lairg never reconciled, even though they later served in the same Cabinet from May 1997 until 1999. In September 2009, Dennis Canavan said Dewar reacted callously when his son was diagnosed with skin cancer in 1989.
When ratified, this was to give Scotland its first Parliament for nearly 300 years. ==First Minister of Scotland== ===Election and nomination=== In January 1998, he confirmed that he would stand for a seat in the Scottish Parliament.
Donald Campbell Dewar (21 August 1937 – 11 October 2000) was a Scottish politician who served as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish Labour Party from 1999 to 2000.
He previously served as Secretary of State for Scotland from 1997 to 1999.
He was also Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the equivalent seat from 1999 to 2000. Dewar first entered politics in the early 1960s and was elected as Member of Parliament for Aberdeen South at the 1966 general election.
He served as Secretary of State for Scotland in British Prime Minister Tony Blair's Cabinet from 1997 to 1999.
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.
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. 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 Palace of Holyroodhouse.
Dewar and Lord Irvine of Lairg never reconciled, even though they later served in the same Cabinet from May 1997 until 1999. In September 2009, Dennis Canavan said Dewar reacted callously when his son was diagnosed with skin cancer in 1989.
Donald Campbell Dewar (21 August 1937 – 11 October 2000) was a Scottish politician who served as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish Labour Party from 1999 to 2000.
He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Aberdeen South from 1966 to 1970 and for Glasgow Anniesland, formerly Glasgow Garscadden, from 1978 to 2000.
He was also Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the equivalent seat from 1999 to 2000. Dewar first entered politics in the early 1960s and was elected as Member of Parliament for Aberdeen South at the 1966 general election.
After losing his seat in 1970, he served in the House of Commons again from 1978 until his death in 2000.
In October 2000, Dewar died of a brain hemorrhage at the age of 63 while still in office.
In May 2000, he had surgery to repair a leaking heart valve, and was forced to take a three-month break from Parliament, with Deputy First Minister Jim Wallace taking over as Acting First Minister.
He returned to work on 14 August 2000. Dewar dealt with the 2000 exam results controversy and the lorry drivers' strike, and attended the Labour Party conference in Brighton, but at the end of September he told the historian Tom Devine in Dublin that if there was no surge of the energy of old, he would have to reappraise the situation within a few months. On 10 October 2000 around lunchtime, Dewar sustained a fall.
He was 63 years old. 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. "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. ==Legacy== Dewar's work for the Scottish Parliament has led him to be called the "Father of the Nation". In May 2002, then Prime Minister Tony Blair unveiled a statue of Donald Dewar at the top of Glasgow's Buchanan Street, a street in Glasgow city centre.
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. ==Legacy== Dewar's work for the Scottish Parliament has led him to be called the "Father of the Nation". In May 2002, then Prime Minister Tony Blair unveiled a statue of Donald Dewar at the top of Glasgow's Buchanan Street, a street in Glasgow city centre.
The "Dewar Arts Award" was created by the Scottish Executive in 2002 dedicated to his memory.
In keeping with his famous unkempt appearance, it showed Dewar wearing a slightly crushed jacket. The statue was taken down in October 2005 to be cleaned, and was re-erected on high plinth in December in an effort to protect it from vandalism.
Dewar and Lord Irvine of Lairg never reconciled, even though they later served in the same Cabinet from May 1997 until 1999. In September 2009, Dennis Canavan said Dewar reacted callously when his son was diagnosed with skin cancer in 1989.
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