“IN more than 60 years in politics, I have watched, met and worked with a number of people who have, in campaigning, a quality that makes them stand out from all others. It’s a quality difficult to define, but its test lies in how a person can not only engage an audience but create an audience for a major purpose. Winnie Ewing was one of them. Iain Lawson was the best.”
This was high praise indeed from Jim Sillars as he paid tribute to a man he said was instrumental in him winning the Glasgow Govan by-election in 1988, when Sillars first became an SNP MP.
Iain Lawson – who tragically died aged 71 following a sudden illness earlier this month – was described as “exceptional” by Sillars at his funeral service in Paisley Abbey, a man with “innovative skill” and someone who had a special ability to “open the eyes of the public to what is real”.
After leaving behind the Conservative Party as they sought to shut down Scotland’s steel industry in the 1980s, his resourcefulness quickly became clear when, after switching allegiances to the SNP, he was nominated to go against Sillars in Govan – with many under the impression the pair would clash given Sillars’ Labour background.
“But we didn’t, we bonded,” said Sillars at Iain's funeral service this week.
“That somehow went unnoticed among some of the right wing of the party.”
At the selection contest, as he stepped up to give his speech, it was discovered Iain was no normal nominee.
“He [Iain] told them he shouldn’t be the candidate, would not be the candidate even if they elected him, and they should vote for Jim Sillars, the only one now available to them,” said Sillars at the service.
“It was a brilliant manoeuvre and only one Iain could have pulled off.”
It’s just one example of Iain’s enduring intelligence, his selflessness and his unending commitment to doing what he thought was right, but there were countless others.
His daughter Laura, 43, said he was always incredibly proud of Scotland and his devotion to the country was highlighted starkly in 1986 when, after coming close to landing a lucrative career as a Tory MP, he ended up walking 450 miles from Gartcosh in Lanarkshire to London to see Margaret Thatcher and make the case for Scottish steel.
“For Iain it was simple. A nation without a steel industry means its manufacturing industry is severely handicapped and is out of markets when it should be in markets,” said Sillars.
'He is owed much by many'
In 1983, Iain – who came from Clydebank originally - had come within a couple of thousand votes of winning the Dumbarton seat for Thatcher’s party, but just three years later, as former SNP National Executive member David Kerr put it, Iain put “conscience over career”.
“In the months subsequent, he found himself embracing the cause, and eloquently articulating the case, for Scottish independence,” said Kerr.
“This at a time when there was no Scottish Parliament and the SNP's Westminster Group could fit comfortably into the back of a Lada saloon.
“In the decades since, Iain maintained an infectious optimism and energy for the unwon cause that is Scotland. He is owed much by many.”
His devotion to Scotland consistently shone through throughout his life, with another notable achievement being when, alongside former Clydebank MSP Gil Paterson, he managed to get Asda to start selling Scottish produce as he “ran rings” around senior management.
Beyond protecting and promoting the country, his biggest passion was Scottish independence. His daughter Rachel, 41, said it was all he wanted and “it is sad he now won’t see it”.
He parted ways with the SNP around eight years ago, but became one of the founders of “liberation movement” Salvo, which was formed as a campaign to restore Scotland’s constitution away from party politics.
Iain also ran a successful blog called Yours for Scotland where he wrote passionately about politics and current affairs and focused deeply on sharing his experiences in Estonia and the country’s journey to independence after he set up a business there while encouraging several of his friends to move over too.
Such was his determination to build links between Scotland and Estonia, he eventually became an honorary consul there.
But beyond his love of Scotland and consistently arguing for its self-determination, Iain was a loving husband to Celia, dad to Laura and Rachel and grandad to Lucie.
Latterly he owned an Italian restaurant in Paisley with Rachel, which was open for six years until it closed last month.
“Dad was such a clever guy. What Jim [Sillars] said in his speech, it really hit the nail on the head.
“He was such a good person and I’m lost for words really. I’ve always looked up to my dad.
“All he wanted was independence for Scotland and it’s sad he’s not going to see it.”
Laura said she has great memories of her dad taking her and Rachel around the world to the likes of Spain, France, Jamaica, Canada, and, of course, Estonia. Iain and Celia had a house out in Florida too, where they would spend several happy months of the year seeing friends and family.
Iain was also a huge fan of his beloved Clydebank football club – known as The Bankies - and often took his daughters to matches, buying the classic pie and Bovril accompaniment for them.
“He was incredibly proud of Scotland and often we would spend many weekends visiting nice places all around Scotland,” said Laura.
“We used to have a boat on Loch Lomond growing up and my dad used to take us out for the weekend and over the summer holidays.
“My dad always said that his biggest gift he gave to me and my sister, other than love, was travel. He always wanted me and my sister to see as much of the world as we could and he wanted to be part of that.
“We went to Canada a lot to see my aunt and uncle. We had family in France and used to go and see them. We went to Spain, Jamaica, Dominican Republic and Estonia. He was a shoo-in to be a diplomat there because he was improving links between Scotland and Estonia.
“Family is everything to my dad. My parents instilled that very strongly in my sister and I and all of us as a family are fully invested in independence.”
Iain expressed a wish for donations to be made to two Renfrewshire hospices in his honor – Accord in Paisley and St Vincent’s in Howwood.
To make a donation to St Vincent’s click here or to make donation to Accord, click here.
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