Allan Stewart (politician)

John Allan Stewart (1 June 1942 – 7 December 2016) was a Scottish Conservative politician and Scottish Office minister.[1][2][3]

Early life

Stewart was born on 1 June 1942 in North Fife.[1] He attended Bell Baxter High School in Cupar.[1] He then studied at St. Andrews University and Harvard University, where he obtained a first class degree.[1]

Career

He was a lecturer in Political Economy at St. Andrews before standing unsuccessfully for the Dundee East constituency in 1970.[1] He was briefly a councillor in the London Borough of Bromley in the mid-1970s. In the 1970s, he also acted as the Secretary of the Confederation of British Industry.[3]

He was elected MP for East Renfrewshire in 1979.[3] His maiden speech as an MP was in support of a motion to repeal the Scotland Act 1978, which would have established a new devolved Scottish Assembly.[3] He served on the Scottish Affairs Select Committee for 2 years.[3] He continued as MP for the East Refrewshire area in its successor Eastwood from 1983 until 1997.[1] He served two periods as Under-Secretary of State for Scotland at the Scottish Office from 1981 to 1986, and from 1990 to 1995.[3] He was responsible initially for health, home affairs and environment at the Scottish Office.[3] After 1983, he was responsible for industry and education at the Scottish Office until he left the position in 1986.[3] One of his final acts, while responsible for education in Scotland, was to order the phased closure of Leith Nautical College in 1986.[4]

From 1990, he assumed responsibility for the community charge at the Scottish Office.[3] He was described politically as an advocate of Free market ideas and a supporter of Thatcherism ideology.[3]

Stewart was forced to resign his ministerial post after an incident in February 1995, when he brandished a pickaxe at demonstrators who were protesting at the construction of the M77 motorway.[5][6][1] He was subsequently fined £200[3] by the Paisley Sheriff Court for breach of the peace and was forced to give up his position in the Scottish Office.[1]

In March 1997, Stewart was hospitalised, in Dykebar Hospital, Paisley, after suffering a nervous breakdown[3] and due to accusations about his personal life.[7][8] He stood down, not seeking re-election to Parliament in the general election held on 1 May that year, and subsequently retired altogether from politics. Stewart died in December 2016 at the age of 74.[9]

Personal life

Stewart was married to a woman named Susie and they had one son, Jack, and one daughter, Rosa.[3][1] It was reported that he had an affair with a woman named Catherine Knight, however he remained married to his wife until his death.[1] It was reported late in his career that he had a serious problem with alcohol and participated in the Alcoholics Anonymous program.[1] He was an active member of the British Hedgehog Preservation Society.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Obituary - Allan Stewart, Scottish Tory MP whose troubles ended his career". Herald Scotland. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  2. ^ "Allan Stewart, Conservative MP and minister – obituary". Telegraph. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Allan Stewart". The Times. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  4. ^ The Sea Dominies: The Story of Leith Nautical College, 1855-1987. London: Board of Governors of Leith Nautical College. 1987. p. 55. ISBN 978-0951240809.
  5. ^ "Tory MP fined pounds 200 for waving pickaxe - News - The Independent". The Independent. 12 September 1995. Archived from the original on 22 February 2015. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  6. ^ "Film tribute to the 'Pollok birdman'". BBC Online. 18 April 2008. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  7. ^ "BBC Politics 97". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  8. ^ "Stewart has nervous breakdown". The Independent. Archived from the original on 22 February 2015. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  9. ^ "Tributes paid following death of former MP Allan Stewart". www.scotsman.com.
  • Times Guide to the House of Commons, Times Newspapers Limited, 1992 and 1997 editions.
  • Dod Vacher's Parliamentary Guide Companion edition, 1992 and 1997.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for East Renfrewshire
1979–1983 		constituency abolished
New constituency Member of Parliament for Eastwood
1983–1997 		Succeeded by