Obituary: Billy Wolfe, former SNP leader

Billy Wolfe, leader of the Scottish National Party from 1969 until 1979, died on 18 March and his funeral will take place on Monday.

WILLIAM Cuthbertson Wolfe was born on 22 February 1924, and educated at George Watson's College in Edinburgh.

He qualified as a chartered accountant before serving in the Scottish Horse Regiment during the Second World War.

Having settled in West Lothian he became a prominent local figure through his work as a Boy Scouts commissioner and a manufacturer of claymores for visiting tourists.

He joined the SNP in 1959 and three years later stood as the party's candidate in the 1962 West Lothian by-election. Labour's Tam Dalyell was elected as MP, but Mr Wolfe finished a surprising second with more than 23 per cent of the vote. It was the start of a build-up to the SNP's first major breakthrough when Winnie Ewing won the Hamilton by-election in 1967.

Mr Wolfe went on to stand in the West Lothian seat at six further general elections, although he was never elected as an MP.

He became depute leader of the SNP in 1966 and leader three years later. It was under his leadership that the party had its greatest electoral success at Westminster, returning 11 MPs at the October 1974 general election – but Mr Wolfe was not among them, despite taking 40.9 per cent of the vote in West Lothian.

He also stood in the 1973 Edinburgh North by-election – held on the same day as Margo MacDonald's famous Govan by-election victory – finishing third.

Ms MacDonald, who worked closely with him when she was deputy leader from 1974 to 1979, said: "He was one of the nicest, kindest men I had ever met. He was never jealous of anyone else's achievements.

"It's not uncommon for more experienced hands to be a bit resentful of younger people, but Billy encouraged them. He gave me a lot of freedom to develop as a politician.

"His nationalism was the same as mine – left of centre in social and economic analysis, but realising we could not deliver the social policy we wanted without independence."

Mr Wolfe stood down as leader after the 1979 general election and was succeeded by Gordon Wilson. But he remained active in the party, taking on the role of SNP president and serving on the national executive committee and national council.

SNP Lothians MSP Fiona Hyslop said: "Billy Wolfe was a remarkable man who played an enormous role in shaping the modern SNP and establishing the party as a formidable force in Scottish politics."

He is survived by his wife Kate, and by four children – David, Sheila, Ilene and Patrick – from a previous marriage.