Ian Hamilton KC

Isobel Lindsay - 7th October 2022

I am sure it would give Ian Hamilton great satisfaction if his death encouraged new interest in the historical background of the Scottish independence movement. The modern SNP is unusual for a nationalist party in the lack of knowledge and interest among many of its members about its founding parents and early activists – John MacCormick, Roland Muirhead, Cunningham Graham, Wendy Wood, Neil Gunn, Oliver Brown   -  just some of those who should be familiar to all of us.

Ian and his friends are among those who should be better known.  The theft of the Stone of Destiny in 1950 was brave, bold and imaginative but it did not take place in isolation.  It came just months after the Scottish Covenant movement had launched their national petition for a Home Rule parliament and they achieved almost two million signatures.  These were gathered house to house, in street stalls, at football matches, outside factories.  The response from the Labour Government was completely negative.  They claimed that the issues were too complex for people to decide in a referendum.  The Conservative opposition offered a Royal Commission which they did later establish with a very limited remit.

The theft of the Stone of Destiny caught the Scottish imagination and for many it was a source of pride that some of their fellow citizens(they didn't know who had done it for some months) had the nerve and ingenuity to carry it out successfully.  This was the anti-deferential Scots asserting their identity and history. The accession of the Queen produced more rebellion because of the E11R title.  The numerous attacks on post boxes eventually forced the Post Office to stop using the title on Scottish boxes.

Because these activities and sentiments did not express themselves in party politics in the following period, they have often been dismissed as just gestures without impact.  I think this is mistaken.  Sustaining the Scottish perspective helped to prepare the ground for the major political successes in the late sixties and in the seventies.  Never underestimate the effect of telling a story with imaginative symbolism.

Ian went on to have a distinguished legal career, giving political support over the decades, writing and speaking for the independence cause.  He didn't choose to play senior party or electoral roles.  But we can say that he and his fellow students made an outstanding contribution by lifting the morale of many Scots and reminding the British establishment that we were still capable of a bit of rebellion.

A very interesting post-script which I am sure Ian would have commented on was the decision of Michael Forsyth, then Secretary of State for Scotland, to persuade the British Cabinet to transfer the Stone of Destiny to Scotland in 1996.  He thought this would be very popular in Scotland and show how responsive the Conservative Government was to Scottish opinion. It was brought back with great military display.  Scotland shrugged its shoulders – nobody gave a damn.  Stealing it was significant; being given an old stone of questionable origin  -  who cared?

Isobel Lindsay