The death of Helen MacKinlay in late November 2004
removed yet another party stalwart who made a major contribution to the
SNP's expansion in the 1960s and 70s. Helen was a native of Hamilton,
but lived for most of her 82 years in Rutherglen. She served in the Land
Army during World War 11. In post-war years she quickly became involved
in community and political activities, building up the local SNP Branch
by hard organisational graft.
In
October 1974 she was Ian Bayne's Election Agent, orchestrating a result
in which the SNP, for the first time, came second behind Labour,
securing over 25 per cent of votes. Thirty years on, the SNP in
Rutherglen has not yet achieved a better parliamentary result. Two years
later Helen was again Election Agent for John Bulloch in the North
Rutherglen council ward. John became Rutherglen's first ever, and to
date, only SNP Councillor.
She was a superb and indefatigable fund-raiser for
the SNP, not just in her own area but throughout Glasgow. In the mid 70s
she served the Glasgow District Association as Finance Chairman
alongside her close friend Jean Watt and the late Sheila Watterson.
Out-with politics, she applied her skills to the task
or raising funds for health charities, including the National Eczema
Society. In later years she had to curb her activities due to poor
health. She remained a dedicated Nationalist until the end and it was
entirely appropriate that her funeral was on St Andrews Day. She leaves
her loyal husband Bob to whom she was married for 58 years.
Hamish MacQueen
Scots Independent February 2005
