Fergus Ewing endorses Forbes: ‘Kate reminds me of my mother Winnie’
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Fergus Ewing has issued perhaps the strongest endorsement possible of Kate Forbes – he compared her to his mother and icon of the independence movement Winnie Ewing.
Mrs Ewing set the party on its current trajectory of electoral success by winning a seat in parliament and in 1967 when politics was totally dominated by men. Then on May 12, 1999 she reopened the Edinburgh legislature, with the words: “The Scottish Parliament, adjourned on the 25th day of March in the year 1707, is hereby reconvened.”
So for the Inverness and Nairn MSP to compare Ms Forbes to an undoubted icon of the independence movement is significant, he said: “I am delighted to add my support for Kate Forbes MSP in her campaign to be the leader of the SNP.
Honesty, bravery, integrity
“Over three decades in Scottish Politics, I have rarely, if ever, known a person who has the qualities Kate possesses, qualities which so well equip her for the top job in Scotland.
“Honesty, bravery, integrity, endless hard work, total commitment to eradication of poverty in Scotland while at the same time working to promote and grow the economy in order to fund our public services.
“These are qualities that people in Scotland appreciate and value. Already Kate’s talents and qualities have shone through. I have worked with her as Highland MSPs for the last seven years.
“I have seen, at first hand, how Kate first won the respect, then the trust and also the affection of her constituents, and then, in her cabinet secretary role, of the wider public.
“Kate reminds me of my mother Winnie Ewing, when she, as a young mother, won the Hamilton by-election in 1967. Her slogan then was: ‘Stop the world, Scotland wants to get on’. Huge progress has been made since then by the party and the wider independence movement.”
Ms Forbes said: “I have worked with Fergus for a number of years. He is well loved within the party, he is a hard-working local MSP and I am delighted to have his support as a fellow Highlander too.”
Hugely grateful
Kate Forbes said: “I am hugely grateful to have the backing of my friend and colleague Fergus Ewing for my leadership campaign.
"As well as being a seasoned political operator and lifelong campaigner for independence, it would be hard to name another MSP who is truly unafraid to voice his own opinions on the issues affecting his constituency.
“There is no doubt that Fergus always puts his constituents first, so to hear him endorse me as the First Minister for the Highlands is a huge compliment indeed.
“Fergus and his team have been prolific in campaigning for a number of Highland issues, not least of all the dualling of the A9, and if I am elected as First Minister that will be one of my top priorities.”
