William L Wilson
Dr. William L Wilson (more commonly known as Bill Wilson) is a Scottish nationalist. Born in Glasgow in 1964 his initial involvement in politics was with the Labour Party whilst studying in Oxford. However, upon returning to his native Scotland he became convinced that of the case for Scottish independence and that the Labour Party's commitment to social justice was waning. In 1989 he joined the Scottish National Party (SNP).
He stood unsuccessfully as a SNP candidate for the House of Commons in the Glasgow Anniesland constituency in the 1997 General Election before standing in the Glasgow Maryhill constituency in both the 1999 and 2003 Scottish Parliamentary elections.
Wilson was also elected chair of the SNP's Glasgow Regional Association in 2001.
In the aftermath of the 2003 election performance of the SNP he became convinced that a change of direction was needed by the SNP leadership. After discussing this with various SNP members he was persuaded to contest the leadership himself and launched a challenge against the SNP leader, John Swinney.
His campaign focused on the issue of centralising the control of the party away from the branches and activists, and what he argued was the trend of placing the SNP ideologically in the centre ground of politics, away from the party's traditional position on the left-of-centre.
In the leadership contest that ensued at the SNP's 2003 Conference Swinney received 577 votes from those delegates voting to Wilson's 111.
External Link
- http://www.bill-wilson.com
Referenced By
Bill Wilson | Scottish National Party | Scottish Nationalist Party
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