First Scots female MP remembered
John Swinney, MSP for Perthshire North, has hosted events to mark the centenary of the election of the Duchess of Atholl Katharine Stewartmurray, Scotland’s first female MP.
The milestone of exactly 100 years since she took office has provided a platform for Perthshire people to familiarise themselves with the force that was ‘Duchess Kitty’ - a successful politician, a vocal humanitarian as well as an accomplished linguist and musician who lived at historic Blair Castle.
Mr Swinney hosted a reception on the evening of Wednesday, December 6 at the Scottish Parliament. This marked, to the day, 100 years since Katharine Stewart-murray’s election to the House of Commons.
Katharine Stewart-murray, who served as a Scottish Unionist MP for Kinross and West Perthshire from 1923-38, led a remarkable political life.
Indeed, just ten years prior to her election she was a leading opponent of women’s suffrage. Following her election, she became an outspoken opponent of totalitarian regimes.
She was one of the most vocal critics of Adolf Hitler, well before the threat he posed was widely accepted by the political establishment. She also took a keen interest in the Spanish Civil War, raising money for the Republican side and ensuring that 4000 child refugees from the conflict were granted access to the UK.
She resigned the whip in 1938 in opposition to Neville Chamberlain’s policy of appeasement and lost the subsequent byelection as an independent candidate despite securing over 47 per cent of the vote.
Last Wednesday’s event at Holyrood was attended by descendants of the Duchess, family members of refugees she had helped save from the Spanish Civil War and Perthshire school pupils.
They heard from a number of speakers with different perspectives on Katharine Stewartmurray’s life.
Speaking at the event were: Paul Ramsay, the great-nephew of the Duchess; Amy Gray, the author of an upcoming biography on Duchess Kitty; Dr Carmen Coupland, the daughter and niece of refugees she saved; Jane Anderson, the former archivist at Blair Castle and Elizabeth Quigley, a BBC journalist who has broadcast extensively on Kitty’s life.
As well as holding a reception at the Scottish Parliament to mark the anniversary, Mr Swinney also secured a Member’s debate. This was held the next day on Thursday, December 7.
The occasion allowed MSPS of all parties to pay tribute to Katharine Stewart-murray’s political legacy and achievements.
Mr Swinney said: “I am honoured to mark this very significant milestone.
“While there are undoubtedly aspects of the Duchess’ political career that I and others will disagree with, it is undeniable that she led a remarkable life and proved to be very much ahead of the time with much of her thinking.
“Indeed, her tireless opposition to totalitarian regimes of all political persuasions and her attempts to get her peers to take seriously the threat posed by Hitler were remarkably prescient.
“Her support for the Republican side during the Spanish Civil War, which included raising money for the cause, clearly demonstrated her belief that fascism must be vigorously opposed. Her subsequently successful efforts to convince the UK Government to accept 4000 child refugees from this conflict will undoubtedly have saved many lives and demonstrated a deep compassion for those who were most acutely affected by the conflict.
“It is a source of regret that Katharine Stewart-murray and her legacy are not more widely known. Her election as Scotland’s first female MP would, in itself, be a powerful legacy, but the remarkable and often enigmatic nature of her political career is worthy of study and wider public knowledge.
“I am therefore very hopeful that both the Parliamentary event and Member’s debate that I hosted will help raise awareness of the Duchess’ incredible political life.
“It was particularly pleasing to see so many school children attend my event, and it is my hope that they will be inspired to learn more about the Duchess.”