Isobel Lindsay

Isobel Lindsay (born 1943)^[1] is a former sociology lecturer, known as a Scottish nationalist and peace activist.

Born in Hamilton, Lindsay studied at Hamilton Academy and at the University of Glasgow, then was based at Strathclyde University, initially as a research fellow, then later as a lecturer in sociology.^[2][3][4] In 1960, she was a signatory to the Committee of 100 anti-war group, and through the group, she met and married Tom McAlpine.^[4][5]

Lindsay joined the Scottish National Party (SNP) at an early age and first stood for the Westminster parliament (unsuccessfully) in Motherwell at the 1970 UK general election,^[2] and became a member of the party's National Executive the same year. She was first elected as a Vice Chair of the party in 1972, initially with responsibility for publicity, then later served as Vice Chair for policy.^[3]

She stood again at the Berwick and East Lothian by-election, 1978.^[6] This was controversial, as the Berwick and East Lothian branch of the SNP had already selected a candidate for the 1979 UK general election. Although party policy stated that prospective parliamentary candidates were not guaranteed selection for by-elections, he initially refused to stand aside, and Lindsay only agreed reluctantly to stand, amid several resignations from the local branch.^[7] Lindsay took only 8.8% of the vote, and lost her deposit.^[8]

Although strongly associated with the left-wing of the SNP, Lindsay did not join the 79 Group.^[9] She remained on the SNP's executive until 1989,^[3] when she resigned from the party, as the sole executive member to support the party participating in the Scottish Constitutional Convention.^[10] She became the final convenor of the Campaign for a Scottish Assembly before this ambition was achieved.^[11] In 1994, she joined the Labour Party,^[11] and attempted to stand for the party at the Scottish Parliament election, 1999, but she was not approved by the party leadership.^[12]

Active in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) from her youth, Lindsay served as its vice-chair in the 2000s,^[13] also on the board of Scottish Left Review, while being prominent in the National Collective.^[14]

References

1. ↑ Anthony Marcus, Anthropology for a small planet: culture and community in a global environment, p.59
2. 1 2 The Times House of Commons 1970, p.166
3. 1 2 3 Henrik Halkier, Institutions, Discourse, and Regional Development, p.597
4. 1 2 Stuart Christie, My Granny Made Me an Anarchist
5. ↑ Gordon Wilson, SNP: The Turbulent Years, 1960-1990, p.59
6. ↑ Richard Ramsey, A Guide to Post-War Scottish By-Elections to the UK Parliament, p.36
7. ↑ Gordon Wilson, SNP: The Turbulent Years, 1960-1990, p.153
8. ↑ David Butler and Dennis Kavanagh, The British General Election of 1979, p.117
9. ↑ Gordon Wilson, SNP: The Turbulent Years, 1960-1990, p.207
10. ↑ Gordon Wilson, SNP: The Turbulent Years, 1960-1990, p.243
11. 1 2 Jonathan Hearn, Claiming Scotland: National Identity and Liberal Culture, p.59
12. ↑ Gerry Hassan and Eric Shaw, The Strange Death of Labour Scotland, p.88
13. ↑ Gerry Hassan, The Modern SNP: From Protest to Power, p.ix
14. ↑ "Isobel Lindsay", National Collective, 18 August 2014