Veteran Labour MSP David Stewart to retire at next election
Labour veteran David Stewart is to retire at the next Scottish Parliament election at the age of 65.
Mr Stewart is one of a small band of Scottish politicians who have served as a councillor, an MP and an MSP.
He became the first Labour MP to represent the previous constituency of Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber in 1997, doubling his majority in 2001 before losing his seat to the Liberal Democrats' Danny Alexander in 2005.
In 2007 Mr Stewart re-entered politics as a Highlands and Islands Labour MSP on the regional list, and was elected for a further two terms, the latest ending next year at the election. In fact, Mr Stewart will be 65 the day before polling day.
“For me retiring is a bittersweet moment,” Mr Stewart said today.
“I’ve been dedicated to politics and the Labour Party for most of my life. I’ve met thousands of people, worked cross-party with countless politicians, been on the doorstep with many activists for Westminster and Scottish Parliament elections and I don’t regret a moment of it.
“It has been a privilege to serve Inverness and the Highlands and Islands throughout my career but it’s time to move over for new blood.”
Labour is working on the selection process for candidates.
The MSP is best known for his campaigning work on road safety, initially becoming involved in fighting for a graduated driving licence for young drivers after the deaths of two 17-year-olds in a tragic accident in Inverness in 2010.
In 2018, after an eight-year campaign and cross-party support from the Scottish Parliament, he was delighted when the UK g overnment finally decided to pilot graduated driving licences.
As well as collecting awards for his work from the road safety charity Brake, he has continued to support residents campaigning for improvements – such as the need for new crossings and speed restrictions.
During his three terms in the Scottish Parliament, he has lodged two successful member’s bills. One was on dangerous buildings, allowing councils to step in and recoup costs if property is in a dangerous state.
The second, for installing fire sprinklers in all new social housing, should come to fruition next year with the implementation of new Scottish Government regulations.
He has represented Scotland twice as a Scottish diabetes champion and continues to support improvements for diabetics as part of this role as Scottish Labour’s shadow public health minister.
As a Westminster MP, he fought and won the campaign to have Inverness recognised as a city – in 2000 it was one of six created to mark the new millennium.
His Labour Highlands and Islands MSP colleague, Rhoda Grant, said she will be sad to see him go.
“David is a dedicated politician and a good friend, always willing to fight for his constituents and not afraid to launch campaigns to achieve his goal,” she said.
“He has achieved respect from across the parliamentary divide, which is no mean feat in today’s political world. He will have hard shoes to fill and will be a great miss to the parliament. However, I will continue to seek his advice and use his knowledge built up during a lifetime of public service.”
John Erskine, Scottish Labour candidate for Ross, Skye and Lochaber at the 2019 general election and Labour list candidate for the Highlands and Islands at the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, said: “It has been a pleasure campaigning with David across the Highlands and Islands since I joined the Labour Party in 2008.
“David was part of the team who gave me my first job in politics, in 2012, in the regional office when I was fresh out of university. He helped show me the ropes and shared his extensive constituency knowledge and political skills.
“His decades of experience of frontline politics as a local councillor, MP and most recently as an MSP will be a loss to the Highlands and Islands, the Scottish Parliament and the causes he has championed in recent years, including his award-winning road safety work and his relentless campaigning for better health outcomes for those living with diabetes.
“I know David won’t be a stranger to the campaign trail and will be supporting Labour candidates in the Highlands and Islands as we go into the 2021 Scottish Parliament elections and beyond, but for now I wish him a happy retirement and hope he enjoys his well-deserved break.”
