Tragedy (By Fletcher of Saulton)
The Nation Mourns a National Hero
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This Joint TL by Fletcher of Saulton and Myself will cover the events in the aftermath of Donal Dewars early death, a modern Scottish legend. ThisPoD which could have changed the face of British politics forever. man destined to be first minister of Scotland. We hope you guys enjoy it.
The Guardian; 16th November 1996 said:Donald Dewar, 21/8/1937-15/11/1996.
Donald Dewar was born into a middle-class household in Glasgow. He blamed his shyness and gauche manner on his upbringing, as the only child of elderly parents. He went to the fee-paying Glasgow Academy, which he disliked, making few friends.
His life changed when he went to Glasgow University, where he became part of a close circle that included John Smith, who was to become Labour leader and who shared Dewar's passion for devolution, and Menzies Campbell, the Liberal Democrat MP for Fife North-East. The Glasgow University Union debate on Friday nights was a bearpit, attended by drunken students howling from the balcony, and it was there that Dewar developed his debating skills: after those debates, Westminster was easy.
He met his wife, Alison, a doctor's daughter, at the university, and they married in 1964. Two years later, he left his beloved Glasgow to represent Aberdeen South at Westminster.
His life reached its lowest point in 1970. The back problem that was to cause him pain throughout the rest of his days began, he lost his seat in the general election and his marriage broke up - a setback from which he never recovered. Alison left him for another lawyer, Derry Irvine, taking the children, Ian and Marion, with her.
He never remarried and spent the rest of his life in what had been the matrimonial home, an elegant house in Glasgow's posh West End. Although he was sociable, fond of company and with a dry sense of humour, he was also a bit of a recluse. Invitations to his home were few.
Asked once about his perfect Christmas, he replied it would be spent alone, with an oven-ready meal and a stack of books. And that is how he did spend many Christmases, even though he had plenty of offers from friends to join them.
In 1978, he made his comeback to politics, beating off a challenge by the SNP in the Glasgow Garscadden by-election. It was an important victory, as the SNP, with the rallying cry of "It's Scotland's oil", had been surging ahead. He held the seat until his death. His constituency consisted mainly of Drumchapel, one of the four sprawling council estates that mark each corner of the city, areas of intense social deprivation.
The poverty that he saw each time he visited his constituency - and he did so frequently - was central to his politics. He never shifted from his brand of socialism, a commitment to more equal distribution, combined with large dollops of pragmatism. Although he was on the right of the party during the battles with the left in the 1980s and was loyal to Tony Blair most of the time, much of his politics would come to be regarded as old Labour.
He led the Labour party as shadow Scottish secretary during the 1980s, a difficult time given that the Tories under Thatcher had control at Westminster while Scotland was returning a majority of Labour MPs. He was under pressure from Scottish Labour MPs who wanted radical action; there was even a proposal that they refuse to remain at Westminster in the aftermath of the 1987 general election and instead decamp to Edinburgh.
To release some of the tension, Dewar, though privately disparaging stunts, did lead a walkout of Scottish Labour MPs from the Commons chamber soon after the election. Much more significant was his decision to participate in the Scottish constitutional convention, an unusual experiment in British politics. Labour sat down with rival political parties, the churches, trade unions and other representatives of Scottish life to work out a blueprint for a Scottish parliament.
Dewar totally opposed Scottish independence and argued consistently that the country benefited from remaining in the Union with England, but although Dewar was opposed to political nationalism, he was a strong cultural nationalist.
He saw little reason to leave Scotland, an inclination that his aides only fully became aware of in the late 1980s when, as shadow Scottish secretary, he was due to make a trip abroad and informed them he did not have a passport.
He had a huge collection of books about Scotland, concentrating on its history and reflecting his special interest in the Jacobite rebellion in the 18th century and the splits in the church in the 19th. But he had an unpredictable take on Scottish history, believing, for instance, that the Highland Clearances had been justified. He also collected Scottish paintings, especially those of the Colourists.
He further showed his passion for Scotland in his love of Scottish football, attending most of the national team's games, sometimes in the company of his friend, the Shadow Chancellor, Gordon Brown.
In 1992, when John Smith became Labour leader, he decided Dewar had been in Scotland too long and needed a change; Smith made him shadow social services secretary, a stint he followed as chief whip.
In September this year, he was taken to Glasgow Royal Infirmary after the discovery of heart irregularities, and had surgery the following month. He never fully recovered his health, and appeared to be permanently tired.
He looked gloomy most of the time, being one of life's pessimists. Even John Smith said: "The only time Donald is happy is when he is totally miserable". It was a jibe made in jest by a man who had much fondness for him. Smith made it because he knew that deep down it basically was not true.
A strong supporter of devolution, Dewar had made it known that were Labour to win in the next General Election, he was intending to stand for the Scottish Parliament. Should Labour win the upcoming General Election, and devolution be enacted, Scotland will have lost itself a strong parliamentarian for the new body. He will be missed.
He is survived by his son and daughter.
The Nation Mourns a National Hero
-------------------
This Joint TL by Fletcher of Saulton and Myself will cover the events in the aftermath of Donal Dewars early death, a modern Scottish legend. ThisPoD which could have changed the face of British politics forever. man destined to be first minister of Scotland. We hope you guys enjoy it.
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