Jim Sillars was born on 4 October 1937 in Ayrshire, Scotland. His early working life involved him following his father into working on the railways, then joining the Royal Navy, before becoming a fireman. It was as a fireman that he became more active politically, through the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) and later with the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC). October 4 is the 277th day of the year (278th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Royal Burgh of Ayr (Scottish Gaelic, Inbhir Àir) in the south-west of Scotland is a burgh situated on the Firth of Clyde. ... Motto (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity Cha togar mfhearg gun dioladh (Scottish Gaelic)1 Wha daur meddle wi me?(Scots)1 Anthem (Multiple unofficial anthems) Scotlands location in Europe Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official languages English, Gaelic Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II  -  Prime... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... October 4 is the 277th day of the year (278th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Motto (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity Cha togar mfhearg gun dioladh (Scottish Gaelic)1 Wha daur meddle wi me?(Scots)1 Anthem (Multiple unofficial anthems) Scotlands location in Europe Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official languages English, Gaelic Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II  -  Prime... The Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) is the co-ordinating body of trade unions in Scotland. ...

Member of Parliament

In the late 1960s he became a MP for the Labour Party, representing the South Ayrshire constituency. He became well known as an articulate, intellectual left-winger, strongly in favour of the establishment of a devolved Scottish Assembly. The Labour Party has been, since its founding in the early 20th century, the principal political party of the left in England, Scotland and Wales. ... South Ayrshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1868 until 1883, when it was abolished. ...

Out of Parliament - Into the SNP

In 1976 he led a breakaway Scottish Labour Party (SLP). The formation of the SLP was inspired primarily by the failure of the then Labour Government to secure a Scottish Assembly. Sillars threw himself into establishing the SLP as a political force, but ultimately it would collapse following the 1979 General Election. At that election the SLP had nominated a mere three candidates (including Sillars who was attempting to hold on to his South Ayrshire seat). However only Sillars came remotely close to winning and it was this failure to secure a meaningful share of the vote that prompted the decision to disband. 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... The Scottish Labour Party (SLP) was formed on January 18th 1976 as a breakaway from the UK Labour Party, by Labour members disaffected with the then Labour Governments failure to secure a devolved Scottish Assembly, as well as with its social and economic agenda. ... Margaret Thatcher James Callaghan David Steel BBC Election 1979 Titles The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on May 3, 1979 and is regarded as a pivotal point in 20th century British politics. ...

In the early 1980s Sillars (along with many other former SLP members) joined the Scottish National Party (SNP). Being a left-winger he had fostered close links with the SNP internal 79 Group, who had encouraged him to join. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The 79 Group was an internal faction within the UK General Election. ...

Sillars, along with the 79 Group and the former SLP members in the SNP, started to shape the SNP as a clearly defined, left-of-centre party. Policies adopted included the support of a non-payment scheme in relation to the Poll tax introduced by the Conservative Government of Margaret Thatcher, as well as the policy of independence within Europe, of which Sillars was a leading exponent. Sillars also started talking in terms of direct action to bring prominence to the Scottish independence cause, stating that 'we must be prepared to hear the sound of cell doors slamming behind us if we are prepared to win independence'. A poll tax, head tax, or capitation is a tax of a uniform, fixed amount per individual (as opposed to a percentage of income). ... The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and is the second oldest extant political party in the world. ... Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC (born October 13, 1925), former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, in office from 1979 to 1990. ... The European Community (EC), most important of two European Communities, was originally founded on March 25, 1957 by the signing of the Treaty of Rome under the name of European Economic Community. ... Walter Thomas Monningtons 1925 painting called Parliamentary Union of England and Scotland 1707 hangs in the Palace of Westminster depicting the official presentation of the Acts of Union, the law that formed the Kingdom of Great Britain. ...

Return to Parliament

In 1988 Sillars was chosen as the SNP candidate for the Glasgow Govan by-election. Govan was a Labour seat (although Sillars' wife Margo MacDonald had won it for the SNP in a by-election previously, in 1973), but Sillars proved an inspired choice. His sound use of oratory and his street campaigning style brought life to the SNP and they won a dramatic victory. 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Glasgow Govan by-election was held on November 10, 1988. ... Margo MacDonald was born in 1945 in Hamilton, Scotland and educated at Hamilton Academy, she trained as a teacher of physical education. ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ...

End Game

Sillars would become the SNP's deputy leader, with many surprised he didn't stand for the party leadership when it became available in 1990. The 1992 General Election proved a disappointing one for Sillars personally as he lost his Govan seat. It was at this time that Sillars made his famous comment that the Scottish people were '90 minute patriots' (a reference to the amount of time a Football/Soccer match lasts). MCMXC redirects here; for the Enigma album, see MCMXC a. ... The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992. ...

This comment proved the beginning of a break with the SNP leadership. The then SNP leader Alex Salmond had been a Sillars ally, but his comments in the aftermath of the 1992 General Election (and it is also suspected the fact that Sillars supported Salmond's leadership contest opponent, Margaret Ewing) started this break. Alexander Elliot Anderson Salmond, known as Alex Salmond (born 31 December 1954), is a Scottish politician, National Convener (leader) of the Scottish National Party (SNP) and Member of Parliament for the constituency of Banff and Buchan. ... Margaret Ewing Margaret Ewing was born Margaret Anne McAdam on 1 September 1945 was a Scottish National Party MSP. She attended the University of Glasgow and the University of Strathclyde and was a teacher before becoming an MP for East Dunbartonshire at the February 1974 Election, by just 22 votes. ...

Sillars remains a columnist for The Sun and he has used his column to criticise what he sees as poor political strategy from the SNP leadership, first under Salmond, and latterly under John Swinney. Sillars is viewed as belonging to the SNP Fundamentalist camp. This article is about a British tabloid. ... John Swinney John Swinney is the former leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP). ... The fundamentalist ideology within the Scottish National Party (SNP) is the belief that the SNP should emphasise its policy of Scottish independence more widely in order to achieve it. ...

He is married to current member of the Scottish Parliament, Margo MacDonald. For the national legislative body up to 1707, see Parliament of Scotland. ... Margo MacDonald was born in 1945 in Hamilton, Scotland and educated at Hamilton Academy, she trained as a teacher of physical education. ...

External links

Wikisource has original works written by or about:

Jim Sillars

• [1] Govan by-election online video Scotsman.com
• [2]Sillars calls for Swinney's exit BBC.co.uk