Bill Speirs
Encyclopedia
William MacLeod Speirs (8 March 1952 – 23 September 2009) was a Scottish
trade union leader, a socialist and internationalist. He was General Secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress
.
Speirs was a key figure in left-wing Scottish politics, chairing the Scottish council of the Labour party at the 1987 general election
, and being a prominent member of various groups of the Bennite left, e.g. the Labour Co-ordinating Committee
and Scottish Labour Action.
Speirs was also a high-profile advocate of Scottish devolution, e.g. he was instrumental in the creation of Scotland United, was a member of the Scottish Constitutional Convention
, and was a member of the group that drafted the key document Scotland's Parliament, Scotland's Right in 1995
. He went to school at the John Neilson Institution in Paisley
and took a first class honours degree in Politics as the University of Strathclyde
.
After graduating he continued with research at university and then worked as a lecturer at Cardonald College
.
when he was appointed to the post of Assistant Secretary in 1978. He became Deputy General Secretary in 1988, succeeding John Henry. In 1998, he became General Secretary, following Campbell Christie
. He retired from the STUC in 2006 due to ill health.
. He was active in the National Organisation of Labour Students
(NOLS) when he was at university. He served on the party's Scottish Executive in the late 1970s and the 1980s and was Chair of the Scottish Labour Party
in 1987. In 1994, he was a signatory of the statement that launched the Scottish campaign for the retention of Clause IV
, which in turn led to the creation of the Campaign for Socialism.
In October 2002, Bill married his partner Pat Stuart in Glasgow.
Bill died in Glasgow on 23 September 2009 following a long illness.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
trade union leader, a socialist and internationalist. He was General Secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress
Scottish Trades Union Congress
The Scottish Trades Union Congress is the co-ordinating body of trade unions, and local Trades Councils, in Scotland. With 39 affiliated unions as of 2007, the STUC represents around 630,000 trade unionists....
.
Speirs was a key figure in left-wing Scottish politics, chairing the Scottish council of the Labour party at the 1987 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
, and being a prominent member of various groups of the Bennite left, e.g. the Labour Co-ordinating Committee
Labour Co-ordinating Committee
The Labour Co-ordinating Committee was a factional body inside the British Labour Party established in 1978 and wound-up in 1995. In that period it moved from a group established to challenge to leadership of the party from the left to the vanguard of Tony Blair's drive to modernise the party's...
and Scottish Labour Action.
Speirs was also a high-profile advocate of Scottish devolution, e.g. he was instrumental in the creation of Scotland United, was a member of the Scottish Constitutional Convention
Scottish Constitutional Convention
The Scottish Constitutional Convention was an association of Scottish political parties, churches and other civic groups, that developed a framework for a Scottish devolution. It is credited as having paved the way for the establishment of the Scottish Parliament in 1999.The Convention was...
, and was a member of the group that drafted the key document Scotland's Parliament, Scotland's Right in 1995
Early life, education and work
Bill Speirs was born in Dumbarton and grew up in RenfrewRenfrew
-Local government:The town of Renfrew gave its name to a number of local government areas used at various times:*Renfrew a town to the west of Glasgow*Renfrewshire, the present unitary local council area in which Renfrew is situatated....
. He went to school at the John Neilson Institution in Paisley
Paisley
Paisley is the largest town in the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland and serves as the administrative centre for the Renfrewshire council area...
and took a first class honours degree in Politics as the University of Strathclyde
University of Strathclyde
The University of Strathclyde , Glasgow, Scotland, is Glasgow's second university by age, founded in 1796, and receiving its Royal Charter in 1964 as the UK's first technological university...
.
After graduating he continued with research at university and then worked as a lecturer at Cardonald College
Cardonald College
Cardonald College is a medium-sized Further education institute located in Glasgow's South Side, in Scotland. Officially opened in 1972, it has over 12,000 full-time and part-time students. Cardonald college takes both students who have just left school and mature students.The Main Campus is...
.
Scottish TUC
Bill Speirs began his career with the Scottish Trades Union CongressScottish Trades Union Congress
The Scottish Trades Union Congress is the co-ordinating body of trade unions, and local Trades Councils, in Scotland. With 39 affiliated unions as of 2007, the STUC represents around 630,000 trade unionists....
when he was appointed to the post of Assistant Secretary in 1978. He became Deputy General Secretary in 1988, succeeding John Henry. In 1998, he became General Secretary, following Campbell Christie
Campbell Christie
Campbell Christie, CBE was the General Secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress from 1986-98.The son of a Galloway quarryman, he joined the civil service at the age of 17, rising through the ranks of the Civil Service Clerical Association...
. He retired from the STUC in 2006 due to ill health.
Scottish Labour Party
Bill Speirs was a lifelong member of the Labour PartyLabour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
. He was active in the National Organisation of Labour Students
Labour Students
Labour Students is a student organisation affiliated to the British Labour Party.Membership comprises affiliated college and university clubs . Membership of Labour Students is through membership of a university or college Labour Club. Affiliation is open to any Labour Club generally supportive of...
(NOLS) when he was at university. He served on the party's Scottish Executive in the late 1970s and the 1980s and was Chair of the Scottish Labour Party
Scottish Labour Party
The Scottish Labour Party is the section of the British Labour Party which operates in Scotland....
in 1987. In 1994, he was a signatory of the statement that launched the Scottish campaign for the retention of Clause IV
Clause IV
Clause IV historically refers to part of the 1918 text of the British Labour Party constitution which set out the aims and values of the party. Before its revision in 1995, its application was the subject of considerable dispute.-Text:...
, which in turn led to the creation of the Campaign for Socialism.
Personal life
With his first wife Lynda, Bill had two children: a daughter, Jaki; and a son, David. The marriage ended in 1990.In October 2002, Bill married his partner Pat Stuart in Glasgow.
Bill died in Glasgow on 23 September 2009 following a long illness.
External links
- Bill Speirs - Daily Telegraph obituary
- BBC: Union champion Speirs dies at 57 - Wed 23 Sep 2009
- STV: Tributes paid to trade unionist Bill Speirs - report & video - Wed 23 Sep 2009
- http://www.heraldscotland.com/comment/obituaries/bill-speirs-trade-unionist-1.921792Obituary - Wed 23 Sep 2009 The HeraldThe Herald (Glasgow)The Herald is a broadsheet newspaper published Monday to Saturday in Glasgow, and available throughout Scotland. As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 47,226, giving it a lead over Scotland's other 'quality' national daily, The Scotsman, published in Edinburgh.The 1889 to 1906 editions...
] - http://news.scotsman.com/obituaries/Bill-Speirs.5674729.jpObituary - Thu 24 Sep 2009 The ScotsmanThe ScotsmanThe Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
] - http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/news/content/view/full/81044Bill Speirs: Trade union leader, socialist, internationalist - Obituary Fri 25 Sep 2009 The Morning StarThe Morning StarThe Morning Star is a left wing British daily tabloid newspaper with a focus on social and trade union issues. Articles and comment columns are contributed by writers from socialist, social democratic, green and religious perspectives....
] - http://www.thecitizen.org.uk/?p=117Obituary - Cathy PeattieCathy PeattieCathy Peattie is a Scottish Labour politician and was the Member of the Scottish Parliament for Falkirk East from 1999 to 2011. In the Scottish Parliament general election, 2011, she was defeated by Angus MacDonald of the Scottish National Party.-External links:* new site for 2011 election*...
MSP in The Citizen (Campaign for Socialism) - Thu 24 Sep 2009] - George Gallloway pays tribute at Bill's funeral STV Video
- An Appreciation in the Scotsman by Gordon McDougall