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EULOGY TO DOUGLAS HENDERSON
(1935 - 2006)
Fergus Ewing MSP – St Giles’
Cathedral, Edinburgh, 7th October 2006.
 Minister.
I have visited many places in Scotland - her cities, towns - her lochs and
glens - I have stood atop her highest mountains. But this pulpit is one
place that I never expected to find myself. The Good Lord himself may well
share in my surprise.
I am here to
pay tribute to Douglas Henderson - my dear friend Douglas.
For all of my
life, I knew Douglas Henderson. Since I was a boy. There used to be many
visitors to Queens Drive, the Ewing family home in Glasgow. Most were
Visitors from the SNP - from politics. Without being unkind, it was not the
case for every such visitor that one would put a tick in the boxes marked
"witty" "Entertaining." or "interesting" against their personality. However,
even as a boy, it was obvious that Douglas was different. He both amused and
enthused those whom he met.
And when you
met Douglas there were a number of ways in which he made a huge impact upon
you. First a huge smile that engulfed his features and he would crack
shortly after any conversation began - a kind of Supernova of a smile.
Second, the gleam and glint in his eye - brighter perhaps than any other I
have known. It was the writer Joseph Conrad who wrote; "The man that said
that the eyes are the window to the soul must have been a glazier by
profession." However that was not so with Douglas. There was little
inscrutable about him; the eyes beholdeth the man. In his eyes you saw his
warmth, humour passion, his zest for life and mischievousness. Then there
was his whole body language. It formed a kind of subtle accompaniment -to
his conversation or speeches. A kind of orchestration backing the theme of
his words. When he delivered the punch line to any joke he would tilt his
head to one side - or his body would jouk slightly left and right - the body
language matching his story his speech his humour. I can remember as a boy
thinking then that he was , great fun - for an adult!
On one occasion
in the House of Commons, Douglas bumped into his good friend and colleague,
George Thomson, the MP for Galloway, and asked where George was going. "To
dinner with the First Minister of the Gilbert and Ellis Islands", George
replied. "Why" retorted Douglas: "Are you on the menu."
The warmth of
his personality had an infectious quality - spreading good cheer and
laughter wherever he went - as though he were surrounded by a force field of
friendship and bonhomie.
In the sixties,
he headed up the Scottish National Party training of young candidates - and
inspired them with his steadfast devotion to the cause of freedom for
Scotland . In the early seventies, he helped prevent the party from entering
into very serious financial problems, using his considerable business acumen
to save the party from ruin.
It was, though,
in his time as an MP at Westminster that the manifold qualities that Douglas
Henderson possessed shone through for all of Scotland to witness.
He became the
Chief Whip of the group. He understood quickly how the place worked.
Politics should be about people but in Westminster it is about power
-grabbing it and keeping it. He grasped that truth and used his wiles to
secure every possible advantage for the SNP who were in a pivotal position
of influence, at least, until the Lib Dems, as they so often do, bailed out
Labour with the Lib Lab pact. Plus ca change.
Indeed, Douglas
tactical acumen was recognised by none less than the chief civil servant who
at that time was responsible for Parliamentary business. One Freddie Warren
- who said "Douglas; you are one of the most devious men I have ever known."
Coming from Mr Fixit at Westminster, that was a great compliment.
Though not
myself a Parliamentary colleague of Douglas Henderson, I was related by
birth and marriage to two ladies who were.
Each held him
in the highest regard and affection.
My mother,
Winnie Ewing said: "Douglas was the best politician our party ever had.
He was the one
our enemies really feared. Their fear was of losing votes and thus seats; of
losing power - and ultimately of losing grip of their precious Union."
My Margaret
said the same thing in a different way. She called Douglas by a private
nickname - which was both a term of great affection , and a compliment: she
called him "Fang.!"
The second last
time I saw Douglas, when he was in hospital, I decided to ask Douglas how
this nickname came about and why he thought Margaret called him "Fang."
"…. Perhaps
because of my thuggish personality…" came the droll and self deprecatory
reply.
But he was
never a thug. He was a tower of strength. And, for his colleagues in
Westminster, he was a rock - hewn out of whatever the human equivalent is ,
of Kemnay Granite.
But he was also
a shrewd and effective operator.
It was, for
example, he who, as chief whip, negotiated for the SNP a seat in the
European Parliament and therefore a voice in Europe for our cause. No-one
else could have done that. This led to my mother’s victory in 1979 in the
first Directly Elected European elections. Truly it can be said that Douglas
was the midwife of Madame Ecosse!
His strength of
character and personality was admired and respected by the fishermen and
farmers of East Aberdeenshire, the North East constituency he represented.
As Alex Salmond has said: "Many came to love him."
In Westminster
his wit sparkled - spontaneous, coruscating and effective. I am sure that
you can each of you now picture him on his feet on the green benches - his
eyes glinting and a smile on his lips as he buried the metaphorical dirk
into the chests of those of his opponents who rashly dared to take him on.
On one occasion
a posh Conservative MP from some southern shire decided, unwisely, to
intervene on Douglas when he was speaking. The Tory was , I suspect, of the
Upper class twit variety. Let us call him - selecting, you understand, this
name entirely at random: - Boris.
"...I am
worried about Scotland. Extremely worried. Once England withdraws her
subsidies to Scotland if you fellows choose separation, where will you
be.......You will be unable to stand on your own two feet..."
Quick as a
flash , Douglas Replied: "The Hon Member need not worry himself
unnecessarily . After Scotland regains her independence we will arrange to
send him Food Parcels...."
You know, I am
sure Douglas enjoyed that. I can see him now, in my minds eye - perhaps you
can too.
When asked by
another Tory MP to intervene, for the umpteenth time in one speech Douglas
replied:
"I have been
quite good at giving way, and we are not conducting a chat show."
His wit
sparkled in Parliament but he knew that Westminster was simply a tool to be
used for advancing Scotland's cause - never a forum for persuasion of any of
its occupants. Scotland was his stage and it was here in this country that
his oratory was witnessed by thousands at SNP conferences, public meetings,
village halls, and at hustings throughout the land.
His speeches
have been described by Alex Salmond as messianic. Gordon Wilson, his close
friend, who sadly is not able to be with us today, said that Douglas had a
touch of greatness about him. His devotion to the cause of self government
and independence was unflinching, unswerving, uncompromising and infectious.
He loved
Scotland's poetry and art - he was a cultured man who had excelled in
business, and had a great gift with people. His oratory drew on a deep
reservoir of knowledge wit and experience. For the sheer impact that it had
on audiences it was unsurpassed. He captivated his audiences - and delighted
them.
Many here will
know that at SNP Conference , on the inside of the
podium in front
of the speaker there are two light bulbs - one yellow one red. The yellow
one is switched on by the Chairman of the debate, when the speaker at the
podium has one minute to go. When his time is up - the red light bulb is
switched on. On one occasion, Douglas seeing the red light bulb flashing as
he was approaching his peroration simply unscrewed it and cast it aside -
continuing to his close - much to the hilarity of the audience in the hall.
Douglas
generated a kind of electricity in his audiences. In his speeches, he was a
kind of human interconnector.
Douglas was
also a fighter. He fought against illness and , after a successful operation
in 1998 he made a powerful comeback to the frontline, resuming his fight for
Scotlands freedom. He stood for the party as a candidate on two further
occasions. He loved and was loved by the activists and would chap on doors
for as long as anyone. He was to fight Falkirk East - a very winnable seat -
and was expected to be elected to the Scottish parliament. It is a huge
sadness to me that I will not now have Douglas as a colleague working
alongside me in the Scottish Parliament . I was so looking forward to that -
more than I can say.
Douglas was
devoted to his companion and business partner Betty Davies and many of us
here know just how deep and strong that love and commitment was. His
daughter Fiona and granddaughter, Ishbel , Betty and myself enjoyed a meal
together recently. Afterwards, Ishbel sent me a wee thank you card in which
she wrote: "My grand-dad always was a tiger in his heart and brain." That
phrase shows I think that, in Ishbel, we have a chip off the old block with
us here today! Indeed, she has already been seen on the campaign trail
wearing a tee shirt with the highly effective slogan: "Vote for my
grand-dad."
I visited
Douglas in his last days, when he was in hospital as did many of his friends
Despite being in great physical pain, he was unto the end, still fighting,
still witty, and still lucid.
In his personal
life he showed kindness to a great many Scots - especially I can say myself.
He was blessed with exceptional and diverse talents. He believed that it is
vital to stand up for what you believe in - and that means that in ones
political life, as he said in his last days - it is always important to be
awkward. He faced up to difficulties in life - and was fiercely loyal to his
friends.
But it was his
capacity to inspire as a leader that was his greatest gift . He was perhaps
the best leader we never had.
Douglas
Henderson was father of four and grandfather ; devoted companion to Betty;
successful businessman; lover of Scottish culture; MP for East
Aberdeenshire; Deputy Leader of the SNP.
He was, for me
as a boy, a hero - a hero then who became a friend. In his last few days
Douglas expressed the words that he wished to form his epitaph. In closing,
I repeat them now. "Never give up till Scotland’s freedom is won." |
