Margo MacDonald

Margo MacDonald (née Aitken; 19 April 1943 – 4 April 2014) was a Scottish teacher, broadcaster and politician. She was the Scottish National Party (SNP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Glasgow Govan from 1973 to 1974 and was Depute Leader of the Scottish National Party from 1974 to 1979. She later served as an SNP and then Independent Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Lothian from 1999 until her death.

Background

Margo Symington Aitken was born in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, and grew up in and around East Kilbride, one of three siblings. Her mother, Jean, was a nurse, and her father, Robert, was described as a "very cruel" man from whom her mother separated when Margo was 12 years old. She was educated at Hamilton Academy, and trained as a teacher of physical education at Dunfermline College of Physical Education immediately after leaving school.

Family

She married her first husband, Peter MacDonald, in 1965, and they ran a Blantyre pub, the Barnhill Tavern (known locally as The Hoolet's Nest), together. The MacDonalds had two daughters, Petra and Zoe, before the marriage ended in divorce. Her second marriage was to former politician and columnist Jim Sillars, whom she married in 1981. Sillars went on to win the 1988 Glasgow Govan by-election for the SNP. Her daughter Petra is married to Craig Reid of the Proclaimers; they have four children.