Scottish National Party leadership election, 1990

Scottish National Party leadership election, 1990
Scotland
22 September 1990
 
Candidate Alex Salmond Margaret Ewing
Votes 486 186
Leader before election

Gordon Wilson

 Elected Leader

Alex Salmond

There was a Scottish National Party leadership election to choose the new leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) in 1990. The election followed the announcement by SNP Leader Gordon Wilson, that he would not seek re-nomination as party leader.[1]

Two candidates presented themselves for election. Alex Salmond, the party's depute leader and Member of Parliament for Banff and Buchan, and Margaret Ewing, MP for Moray, who had served as depute leader until 1987. Both candidates were seen as being on the left-wing of the party.[1]

Jim Sillars, the party's other Westminster MP, supported Ewing.[1] Although Ewing's official campaign remained positive, Silllars created an unofficial group of Ewing supporters who were highly critical of Salmond.[2]

The result of the election was announced at the party conference, held in Perth on 22 September. Salmond won the election by 486 votes to 186, a larger-than-expected margin.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Girvan McKay, The Lion and the Saltire, p.78
  2. 1 2 Peter Lynch, SNP: The History of the Scottish National Party, p.145
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