25th anniversary of the death of the Right Honourable Donald Dewar
Tabled 13 October 2025 by Patricia Ferguson
That this House acknowledges the 25th anniversary of the death of the Right Honourable Donald Dewar, Scotland’s first First Minister; notes that Donald was first elected to Parliament in 1966 as the MP for Aberdeen South, representing the area until 1970; further notes that he returned to Westminster in 1978, winning a by-election in the Glasgow Garscadden constituency, in his home city, and holding the seat at four subsequent general elections, and winning the successor Glasgow Anniesland constituency in the 1997 general election; recognises that during his Westminster parliamentary career he served on the Scottish Affairs Committee, including as Chair, before being promoted into Labour’s Shadow Cabinet as the Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland, then Social Security, and finally Chief Whip; further recognises that in 1997 Donald was appointed as Secretary of State for Scotland, in which role he was regarded as the ‘Architect of Devolution’, credited for his leadership in delivering a ‘Yes’ vote in the 1997 Scottish devolution referendum, and steering through parliament the Scotland Act 1998, establishing the Scottish Parliament; acknowledges that Donald led Scottish Labour’s winning 1999 Scottish Parliament election campaign, which saw him elected to represent the Glasgow Anniesland constituency; celebrates his election by the Scottish Parliament on the 13 May 1999 as Scotland’s first First Minister; regrets his untimely passing on the 11 October 2000; and honours Donald Dewar’s life, his distinguished parliamentary career spanning 26 years, and all that he achieved for Scotland, earning him the title Father of the Nation.