IF you have to have your death announced, and we all do, then there can surely be no greater honour than to have your passing publicised by the leader of your country, the First Minister of the Scottish Parliament you did so much to create.
Canon Kenyon Wright would have read that sentence with a typical wry smile, for he would not have wanted any commotion to be made about himself. A fuss, a blether, even a wee rammy about Scotland, yes, but not about himself.
For it was indeed First Minister Nicola Sturgeon who, at the request of his family, confirmed that the Canon, who chaired the Scottish Constitutional Convention from 1989 to 1999, had died peacefully at the age of 84 on Wednesday.
A family funeral is to be held next week, with a memorial service being organised over the next few months.
The First Minister said: “I am deeply saddened by the death of Canon Kenyon Wright and my thoughts are with his family. He is a great loss to Scotland’s political, civic and religious communities. His input to the creation of the Scottish Parliament cannot be overstated.
“His chairmanship of the Scottish Constitutional Convention, which led to the creation of the Scottish Parliament, was testament to his strength of character, tenacity and charisma. He was able to bring together the different strands of Scottish politics and society to achieve consensus about the way ahead for Scottish devolution.
“His legacy will live on through the work of the Scottish Parliament.”
Kenyon Wright’s most famous words came at the establishment of the Scottish Constitutional Convention in 1989 when Margaret Thatcher was still Prime Minister and infamously not listening to any talk of devolution.
At the inaugural meeting on March 30, 1989, in the Church of Scotland’s Assembly Hall in Edinburgh, he said: “What if that other voice we all know so well responds by saying: We say no, and we are the state? Well, we say yes – and we are the people.”
Born in Paisley in 1932, the son of a textile worker, Kenyon Wright was educated at Paisley Grammar School, and Glasgow and Cambridge Universities. He worked as a Methodist missionary in India from 1955, and in total he spent 15 years in that country, where he founded and directed the “Ecumenical Social and Industrial Institute” in Bengal, as a result of which he became fluent in Bengali, as well as German and French.
Returning to the UK in 1970 and eligible for Anglican office, he became a Canon of Coventry Cathedral, responsible for the global ministry of Reconciliation.
On returning to Scotland and the Scottish Episcopal Church, he became General Secretary of the Scottish Churches Council, where he worked closely with the Scottish TUC, the Scottish Council for Development and Industry and civil society.
His website said he worked “towards the goal of home rule” and no-one did more for the cause from the mid-1980s onward.
Tributes were paid from across the political spectrum last night. Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said: “His work and tireless campaigning with the Scottish Constitutional Convention is a vital reason why we have a Scottish Parliament today.
“For generations to come there will be a Parliament in Edinburgh that makes decisions affecting the everyday lives of Scots, and that is the wonderful legacy he leaves behind.
“The day before the Scottish Parliament opened in 1999, Canon Kenyon Wright handed the Claim of Right to Donald Dewar.
“That document now resides in the Donald Dewar Room in the Scottish Parliament, a fitting reminder of what was achieved by these giants of Scotland’s devolution movement.”
Former First Minister Alex Salmond said: “Canon Kenyon Wright was one of the great spirits of the movement of self-government.
“His role in the Scottish Constitutional Convention showed a patience, commitment and determination of extraordinary dimensions.
“In more recent times, his willingness to embrace the independence cause demonstrated that his belief in Scotland transcended any political party or particular position – his guiding light was the right of self-determination of the people of Scotland. Scotland has cause to be grateful for the life of our grand Canon and his passing will be mourned.”
Another former First Minister, Henry McLeish, worked with the Canon on the Convention’s Steering Group. He said: “This kind of campaigner does not come along very often. It was a privilege to be associated with his enthusiasm and his patriotism, and Scotland should look back tonight on the contribution he made to the Parliament.”
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