 The next item of business is consideration of a motion of condolence in the name of Humza Yousaf in tribute to Winnie Ewing, an inspiring and hugely influential politician, an MSP, an MP and an MP, and of course the first person to chair the reconvened Scottish Parliament in 1999, and the flags outside the Parliament today are lowered as a mark of respect. I call on the First Minister to speak to and move motion 10350. It is with great sadness that I move this motion of condolence in my name in paying tribute to Winnie Ewing. I cannot pretend that my speech today, or indeed I suspect any of the speeches today, will do full justice to such a remarkable and unique life. Born in 1929 in Scotland, and indeed in a world that is very, very different to our own, Winifred Margaret Ewing was brought up in Glasgow. She became active in politics while studying law at Glasgow University, joining the Student Nationalists Association, something a few of us are familiar with. It was there that she met a one Ian Hamilton and he asked her whether she would like to be part of an infamous trip down to Westminster Abbey to repatriate the stone of destiny. The only thing that prevented Winnie Ewing from making that journey was that she did not have a driver's licence and Ian Hamilton needed a driver. In a life of a trailblazer who achieved so much, it may be fair to say that that was the only stone that she left unturned. Even at this point in Winnie Ewing's life, she was clearly destined to be a trailblazer. For a woman that has a high profile career in law with something of her rarity in those less equal days, and a career in politics, forget about it. Unheard of for a woman, particularly a woman of nationalist persuasion. During the 1950s and 1960s, Winnie's legal career began to flourish. At that time, she met her beloved husband Stuart, and she would go on to have three children. Winnie was studying for the English Bar when a bi-election was declared in the constituency of Hamilton. As we all know only too well, bi-elections are only remembered and only have a national impact when the result is in upset. That would be something of an understatement when it came to Winnie Ewing's incredible victory in 1967. It was not too overstated, but it was seismic. Professor James Mitchell best summed up its profound significance when he wrote and I quote, After Hamilton politics in Scotland would be viewed through a Scottish lens by all parties seeking support north of the border. Although she failed to hold on to our Hamilton seat in 1970, Winnie was again elected in 1974 to serve the people of Murray shortly afterwards, began her long career as a member of the European Parliament. She secured some spectacular successes for the Highland communities that she represented. She helped to secure objective one assistance for the whole of the Highlands and Islands in 1989, which opened up major resources for infrastructure and employment projects. Winnie was clearly motivated by her desire for Scottish independence, but she was also involved in major international issues of the day. Her infamous declaration, Stop the World Scotland Wants to Get On, has been quoted countless times, but what is often forgotten is the context in which she said it. At a time where Scotland had no national parliament and had little international personality, Winnie worked tirelessly to foster understanding of Scotland and goodwill for our nation as a friend of a range of prominent European and indeed international figures. Those international figures included the likes of Jacques Chirac, Golda Meir and politicians from across the island of Ireland, including David Humean-Paisley, Eamon The Valorah and Hughes Funeral. She attended by hiring a small plane at her own expense. As an MEP, she was also elected as a parliamentary delegate to the Lomay Convention, a trade and aid agreement between European, African, Caribbean and Pacific nations. That opened the door to Winnie working on a variety of international issues of importance. Memorably, she succeeded in bringing the Lomay Assembly to meet in Inverness. It is also fair to say that Winnie was known for her compassion and tirelessly fighting for those who did not have a voice. Winnie was a champion of the Jewish dissidents in the Soviet Union. One prisoner in particular was Wolf Zell Manson, whose case she publicised and campaigned for relentlessly until he was finally released to Israel. Winnie devoted much of her career for speaking out for those who could not speak for themselves. Above all, she sought to build a Scotland that looked outwards, making a positive contribution to the world around us and by doing so enriching ourselves. She knew that a key part of that would be to mobilise Scotland's young people. In her maiden speech as an MP in 1967, Winnie had spoken in favour of reducing the voting age to 18. Years later, as an MEP, she deserves enormous credit as an architect of the EU's Erasmus Student Exchange programme. I hope that Scotland will, in time, be able to rejoin. Even after all that, Winnie was not finished. In 1999, she was elected to the first Scottish Parliament. As the oldest member that fell to her to open the first session, we can only imagine the emotions that she felt as she paid tribute to colleagues and friends from across political parties who had campaigned for decades to see this very place become a reality. Winnie's message on that hopeful day was very much one for the future. If the 1707 Parliament's demise had been the end of an old saying, Winnie said that the creation of this place allowed us to write a new one. She urged us to sing in harmony and to do so with fortissimo. Down the years, there has certainly been a lot of fortissimo in this building, sometimes even a fair amount of disharmony, but we should never allow ourselves to forget that there has also been a lot of harmony. Across political parties, this chamber has been able to fulfil Winnie's wish by working together, and, fair to say, as a Parliament, we have achieved a lot for the people that we represent over the years. This Parliament has also helped Scotland to build new friends and partners the world over. The SNP would not categorically not be where we are today without the contribution of Winnie. With her passing, my party mourns the loss of a giant of our movement, both in terms of contribution and sheer force of personality. Equally, Scotland as a whole has lost a relentless champion and a true pioneer. To Fergus, to Annabelle, to Terry and to all of the Ewing family, we offer our condolences, but we hope that your grief is tempered by an enormous pride for your wonderful mother and a wonderful grandmother, for a life that was well lived and lived, ultimately, in the service of others. On behalf of the whole chamber, I say thank you, madam, because. Thank you, Presiding Officer. There are not many politicians who, whilst never achieving senior office and government, nevertheless become household names. But Winnie Ewing certainly falls into that category. The First Minister referenced Winnie Ewing's interests and appeal to young people. I can well remember being at school in Inverness in the 1970s when Winnie Ewing was already a household name at that point, and at that time was the MP for Murray and Nairn. In my primary school, everyone wore on their blazers little yellow badges in her tribute, bearing the legend it's Scotland's oil. It might amuse the chamber to know that even my own blazer might have borne such a badge, although to the relief of my colleagues behind me, I should say, my political views have matured since that particular point. Even back then, Winnie Ewing was well known as an energetic campaigner and someone who fought hard for her constituents. She lost her seat in Westminster in 1979 to the Conservative candidate but bounced straight back in fighting the European Parliament election. That's a candidate for the then Highlands and Islands constituency just a few weeks later, in due course beating the well-known liberal Russell Johnson, who had been MP for Inverness. I can well remember the pictures of Winnie Ewing, who was attending the Cabinet Cup final, which I recall correctly was being played at the Buck's Park in Inverness. Winnie was only part of the crowd, but quickly realised that Russell Johnson, who was her opponent in the election, was a member of the official party and was having the players presented to him before the match. If she took it upon herself to run across the pitch pursued by a TV camera to insert herself uninvited in the official party, so certainly she was never shy of putting herself forward or wanting to miss an opportunity to be in the limelight. I'm now the only Conservative MSP whose time in this place overlapped with Winnie in the first session of this Parliament. Despite our political differences, I always found her to be engaging company, and on more than a few occasions we found common cause. I can recall one particular occasion at the opening of this new Parliament building in 2004. By that point, Winnie had stood down as an MSP, but had been invited as an honoured guest to the opening of the new building. Due to the security around the late Queen, who was performing the opening, all the roads around the Parliament had been closed to traffic. I happened to meet Winnie as she stepped out of a taxi at the top of Abbey Hill, very frustrated that she was so far away from the Parliament building. She was, she quickly discovered, wearing quite unsuitable shoes for the long walk down Abbey Hill to the Parliament building. I offered her my arm to a sister in the journey, and we proceeded arm in arm towards the Parliament building for the Royal opening. On the way, she regaled me with various tidbits of political gossip, which even now I would not dare repeat to the chamber. However, I do remember as we came in sight of the front of the Parliament, she complained bitterly to me that the union flag was flying above the Parliament building. I thought that it might be impolite to disagree with her, and maybe I was just terrified, so I maintained a diplomatic silence at that particular point. However, Winnie Ewing was not just a nationalist icon, but someone who was highly respected across the political spectrum, having served in three different parliaments. She will be greatly missed, but all those who knew her, and many who did not ever have the chance to meet her, but knew her simply by reputation. My condolences and those of my party go to the whole family, but in particular to our colleagues Annabelle and Fergus, who as well as losing a political mentor have lost a dear mum. I know how proud Winnie was of them both and enjoyed seeing how their careers developed and see them take up the causes that she fought so hard for. It is an honour to speak today on behalf of the Scottish Labour Party in memory of Winnie Ewing. Before I begin, can I also take the opportunity to offer my condolences again and those of everyone at Scottish Labour to the family of Winnie Ewing, in particular to Annabelle, Fergus and Terry? To many members on the SNP benches and to many more SNP members across the country, Winnie Ewing was and remains an iconic figure and an important part of their lives, so I am sure that many SNP MSPs have felt her absence keenly, and they too have my sincerest condolences. However, it is hard to think of Winnie Ewing and the story of her life without thinking of the story of Scotland in the 20th and 21st centuries. She may have been christened madame Ecos for other reasons, but in many ways the political and public life of Winnie Ewing serves as a crucial insight into the changes that Scotland has been through. At a time when it was rare for young women to receive a university education and to enter politics, Winnie Ewing did both. She did not pull up the ladder after her. She was generous in her encouragement of women across all parties. Far from picking an easy life, as we have heard, Winnie Ewing joined the SNP at that time more likely to visit London to try and liberate the stone of destiny than to enter the House of Commons. However, as the First Minister said, she was indeed a trailblazer. In one of many elections, by elections indeed in the Hamilton area, Winnie Ewing scored a remarkable victory for the SNP, sending shockwaves right the way across the United Kingdom. In part, because of that success, Labour fast-tracked its long-held plan for a Scottish Assembly, so this Parliament, in which we are all in today, is very much part of the Winnie Ewing story. As an MEP, Winnie became famous for her very forthright speeches in the European Parliament, and later, indeed, as a grandee in this very Parliament. I was pleased to be in the chamber when, in that role, she had the historic privilege of opening this Parliament in 1999, reconvening the Parliament for the first time since 1707 and the first time under a representative democracy. The legacy of Winnie Ewing is clear for all to see in the electoral success of her party and in the articulate and thoughtful work done in this chamber by her children, Fergus and Annabelle, and by her daughter-in-law Margaret Ewing, who also served in the Scottish Parliament. I always look forward to Winnie Ewing's contributions in the Parliament, even though we occasionally disagreed. I have to be honest, she could be quite fearsome when she was disagreeing, but I have to also say that she often gave a harder time to her own side than to me, an honourable tradition that has been reintroduced by her children. I will conclude with this anecdote. Whilst door-knocking recently, and I won't be so cruel as to say where, I came upon the doorstep of an older gentleman, some would say a wiser gentleman. He is now an XNP member. In a lovely conversation, he told me that he had previously joined the SNP in 1967 due to the inspirational Winnie Ewing and her win in the by-election, and he still held her in the highest regard. So, while the electoral fortunes of political parties come and go, it is clear to see that, above the ebb and flow of the tide of politics, the influence and legacy of Winnie Ewing lives on. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I would like to begin as others have by offering mine and my party's sincere condolences to Winnie Ewing's family and friends. I know for many in this chamber she had an impact not just on their political journeys but their personal lives too. Her impact on Scottish politics and on her party are undeniable. A historic by-election win for the SNP in Hamilton advocating for independence on the international stage and reconvening this Scottish Parliament. That's an honour that no one else will ever have and I hope that we can also take this time to remind ourselves that this place has to go on to achieve everything that was hoped for in that very first session. She's undoubtedly left her mark on the political landscape. She represented in politics in a time where it was unusual to say the least to see women taking a prominent role. It's a reminder to us that we need to continue to value women in politics and help all of us to bring everything that we can to the job. We have to recognise the unique situation that we are in with both Fergus and Annabelle here as sitting members. Her loss of the party and the independence movement is obvious, but the loss to her family is profound. Finding the words to express that loss and convey how sorry I truly am is almost impossible. The gravity of grief, let alone having to navigate that grief in the public eye, is great and it takes a great deal of strength to be able to sit through a session such as this. I hope that the outpouring of feeling and the formal marking of your mum's death bring some comfort. Grief is a process and I hope that long after this debate concludes, colleagues around the chamber will continue to provide a listening ear. Winnie Ewing achieved what many of us hope to do in our lifetimes. She's a tangible legacy, written into the history books with people who love her to continue to tell her stories. Both the triumphant ones of Winnie's elections and undoubtedly the deeply personal ones of fun. Those are the things that paint the picture of a life well lived, that add colour and light when grief can weigh heavy. I wanted to finish, Presiding Officer, with a poem that was sent to me by a friend at my own time of loss, that I hope that those across the chamber who feel Winnie's loss will find some comfort in. Don't think of her as gone away, her journey's just begun. Life holds so many facets, this earth is only one. She's in a place of warmth and comfort where there are no days or years. Think how she must be wishing that we could know today how nothing but our sadness can really pass away and think of her as living in the hearts of those she touched. For nothing loved is ever lost and she was loved so much. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. This is an afternoon of clear emotion and we've just seen that in the very moving words of Gillian Mackay. I also extend the heartfelt condolences of my party, the Liberal Democrats, to everyone who loved Winnie Ewing in the chamber today, not least her children, Annabelle and Fergus. It's lovely to see Annabelle's lectern up and Fergus's pen in his hand, so I hope that we may get some contribution from them later. I've been particularly moved by what we've heard today, especially the laughter. I think that it's a testimony to the women that this chamber has been filled with laughter on what would otherwise be a solemn occasion. I didn't know Winnie. I think that I met her when I was a lobbyist, but it is impossible not to have been taken by her formidable reputation. I have said several times that it is incumbent on all of us elected to this chamber to reflect the better nature of the people that we are here to serve. Winnie Ewing did that and did that with a plon. On the news of her passing, my Scottish Liberal Democrat colleague Alistair Carmichael said that Winnie was renowned for her fierce determination, which was amply matched by her sense of fun. That meant that, in his words, even those who disagreed with her held her in respect and admiration. I think that, after hearing what we've heard today, that is clearly true. Her mark on Scottish politics is as indelible as the legacy it leaves. You yourself, Presiding Officer, referenced the fact that she was the first person to speak in this Parliament when it was reconvened after 300 years. Her portrait rightly hangs near the entrance to this chamber, because it is in part due to her efforts in Tyler's campaigning that the Scottish Parliament stands here today. The famous 1967 by-election victory in Hamilton was groundbreaking in many ways, but what strikes me as we reflect on was how undoubtedly important it was in paving the way for many more women, from all parties, from all political strikes, both in this chamber and beyond both to be inspired and then to go out and get elected. In her time as a member of the British delegation to the fledgling European Parliament and in her tenure as an MEP, it was her commitment and passion that helped to forge lasting and strong ties between Scotland and Europe. In fact, as we have heard, she is one of the few people to have served in all three of our parliaments, or as was, which is, I think, testament to her ardent commitment to public service. It is then no wonder that two of her children followed her footsteps into Scottish politics and have made such a valuable contribution in her stead and in her shadow, but have grown beyond that shadow to make their own contribution as well. All of those achievements highlight a career that I think many of us in this chamber, regardless of our political side or stripes, would look up to and aspire to emulate. Although, clearly, a lot of her politics were at odds with mine and my parties, I admire her greatly. In fact, it is difficult not to. She will be remembered as a stalwart, as a trailblazer, and, for her passion, drive and perseverance, all of which will have lasting impact on our society far beyond her passing. Presiding Officer, it is an honour to be called to make a contribution to this debate on the motion of condolence for my mother, Winnie Ewing. At the outset, I would wish to thank the First Minister and, indeed, all the other speakers for their kind and thoughtful words today. Indeed, the family has been touched and supported by the condolences that we have received from across the chamber, Scotland and further afield. From my mother's sensational victory in November 1967 in the Hamilton by-election to her unseating, the Secretary of State for Scotland in Murray and Nairn in the February 1974 election, from her victory in the first directly elected European Parliament elections for the Highlands and Islands in 1979, to her holding that seat in three more elections with vastly increased majorities, from her winning her Highlands and Islands seat as member of this Parliament to her historic words in formally reconvening this Parliament, this long-track record of electoral success, very much against the odds, was not down to luck but rather was as a result of how my mother was able to inspire people. For she was not just clever, kind and generous, she was not only stylish and charismatic, but Winnie walked in other people's shoes and they knew that she would speak up for them. Winnie transformed political campaigning, she spoke directly to people in their factories, in their homes and on the streets. Indeed, by the sheer power of her personality in the Hamilton by-election campaign, it is not an exaggeration to say that she created a new mood of optimism there in Hamilton and across Scotland. Winnie inspired people to imagine how things could be in a normal independent country with transformative powers to create a fairer society and to participate in the world directly, taking our seat in the United Nations between Saudi Arabia and Senegal. The early Westminster years were tough for my mother as the sole SNP MP in a House of Commons of 630 members. There was, it had to be said, a great deal of hostility, much involving outright misogyny. When my mother was elected in 1967, having in fact been encouraged to stand by my late father, we kids were all under 11, with my younger brother, Terry, just three and a half years old. My mum was often met on arriving home on a Thursday night, frequently exhausted, with a rather disgruntled wee boy running to the door where Terry posed two crushing questions. Where you been? Why you went? I am sure that that plaintive cry strikes a cord with many colleagues across the chamber and I am pleased to report that my wee brother Terry's grammar has improved massively over the years. It is simply beyond doubt that Winnie blazed a trail for women. She was far ahead of her time. She set up her own legal practice at 28. She became a respected and busy Glasgow criminal defence lawyer. She then became secretary of the Glasgow Bar Association and she was also president of the Seroptimus Club of Glasgow Central. Winnie demonstrated that a women's place was wherever she chose it to be, including in politics. Perhaps what is less well known is that Winnie personally inspired many women to stand for elections, some of whom I see around the chamber today. Winnie was a champion of women's rights. A friend of different political views in her condolence card to me said, all women in Scotland, I am sure, are proud of Winnie and what she did for us. A lifelong campaigner for human rights and oppressed minorities, Winnie was also a good friend to the Jewish community in Scotland, working with fellow Glasgow solicitor and friend Leslie Wilson to free prisoners of conscience from the Soviet Union. In her 24 years as member of the European Parliament, Winnie was steadfast in standing up for our fishermen and for our fishing communities. She always spoke up for the Scottish interests. She was a champion of the Gaelic language and she did, indeed, earn the Soviet quay madame Ecos. She worked with MEPs from other political groups and made common cause in getting things done that would benefit Scotland and Europe more generally. We can indeed see that in her work to get the Erasmus scheme up and running when she was chair of the European Parliament's Education and Culture Committee, and we can see that in her bringing the LOMI assembly to Inverness. We can also see that recognition in her being awarded the Medaill en Orch Rhymerit Europial, further to a presentation by the then European Commission president Jean-Claude Junker in November 2014 in Luxembourg. When my mother reconvened the Scottish Parliament on 12 May 1999, she said in her contribution from the chair that she had four practical hopes for the Parliament, that we strive to adopt a more consensual style, perhaps a work in progress, Presiding Officer, that we be fair in our procedures to minorities, that the very existence of this Parliament leads to better relations with our neighbours across these aisles, and that we live in harmony together, both those born here and those who have chosen to make Scotland their home. Presiding Officer, I imagine that my mother would not mind me adding here. Indeed, I expect that she would be a bit disappointed if I did not, that her hopes for our party would be that we remain a national party speaking up for all parts of Scotland, that we never take any vote for granted and that we continue to seek to persuade our fellow citizens of the opportunities of independence by reasoned and courteous debate. It would be wrong for me not to mention just how much our father Stuart devoted his life to provide support for Winnie, without which she simply would not have been able to do all the things that she did. She did help my father Stuart in fact in his bid to become a Glasgow councillor in the 70s, and in a Saturday night pub canvas in Mary Hill, she introduced my dad, who many here will know was not exactly quite as gregarious as my mum, it is fair to say, but she introduced a rather reluctant Stuart to a group of ladies who were having a very good night out in the pub in Mary Hill. She introduced my dad with the words Ladies, this is your council candidate and my husband Stuart, to which there was a bit of a silence, a bit of a pause, and then the deadpan reply came, Winnie, are you boasting or apologising? Presiding Officer, Winnie was a trailblazer for women. She was a legend in her own lifetime, a heroine and a patriot, but for the family she was also our mum, and Fergus, Terry and I are inordinately proud of her. Thank you. We'll take a minute or two before we resume proceedings this afternoon.