The Glasgow University Scottish Nationalist Association (GUSNA) is a student organisation formed in 1927 at the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

which supports

Scottish independence Scottish independence ( gd, Neo-eisimeileachd na h-Alba; sco, Scots unthirldom) is the idea of Scotland as a sovereign state, independent from the United Kingdom, and refers to the political movement that is campaigning to bring it about. ...

History

GUSNA is important historically as it predated many pro-independence organisations including the

Scottish National Party The Scottish National Party (SNP; sco, Scots National Pairty, gd, Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic political party in Scotland. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence from th ...

itself. It is the forerunner of the National Party of Scotland (NPS) which is itself a forerunner of the modern Scottish National Party. One of the three founding members of GUSNA was

John MacCormick John MacDonald MacCormick (20 November 1904 – 13 October 1961) was a Scottish lawyer, Scottish nationalist politician and advocate of Home Rule in Scotland. Early life MacCormick was born in Pollokshields, Glasgow, in 1904. His father was Dona ...

who had previously been involved in the Glasgow University Labour Club. GUSNA was thrown into prominence in the early 1950s when a group of its members (including Ian Hamilton who would later become a well known

Queen's Counsel In the United Kingdom and in some Commonwealth countries, a King's Counsel (post-nominal initials KC) during the reign of a king, or Queen's Counsel (post-nominal initials QC) during the reign of a queen, is a lawyer (usually a barrister o ...

) took the Stone of Destiny from

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

on Christmas Day 1950. This caused a huge scandal among the British establishment and it was not until April 1951 that the stone was found by the authorities. GUSNA has, almost since its inception, tried to play an active part in the life of Glasgow University with its members regularly being involved in the Students' Representative Council as well as regularly nominating candidates for the election of the Rectorship of the university. Notable GUSNA Rectorial candidates of the past have included Robert Cunninghame-Graham and John MacCormick (who with Ian Hamilton as his campaign manager was successful in being elected). More recent candidates have been Ian Hamilton,

Alasdair Gray Alasdair James Gray (28 December 1934 – 29 December 2019) was a Scottish writer and artist. His first novel, ''Lanark: A Life in Four Books, Lanark'' (1981), is seen as a landmark of Scottish fiction. He published novels, short stories, plays ...

and Alan Bissett; with the most recent being Aamer Anwar, who was elected in 2017. GUSNA is affiliated to SNP Students, the student wing of the Scottish National Party, and played a leading role in its formation in the 1960s. Prominent former members of GUSNA have included

Winnie Ewing Winifred Margaret Ewing (' Woodburn; born 10 July 1929) is a Scottish politician, lawyer and figure within the independence movement who served as President of the Scottish National Party from 1987 to 2005. Ewing was a Member of the Scottish ...

Neil MacCormick Sir Donald Neil MacCormick (27 May 1941 – 5 April 2009) was a Scottish legal philosopher and politician. He was Regius Professor of Public Law and the Law of Nature and Nations at the University of Edinburgh from 1972 until 2008. He was a ...

(son of John MacCormick), Mhairi Black, and

First Minister A first minister is any of a variety of leaders of government cabinets. The term literally has the same meaning as "prime minister" but is typically chosen to distinguish the office-holder from a superior prime minister. Currently the title of '' ...

Nicola Sturgeon Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon (born 19 July 1970) is a Scottish politician serving as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) since 2014. She is the first woman to hold either position. She has been a member of ...

. The current president is Euan Bell.

Executive committee

The members of the 2022-23 executive committee are: * President: Euan Bell * Vice President: Aidan Phillips * Secretary: Sam Parker * Treasurer: Shona McKenzie * Organiser: Gwion Dafydd Rhisiart * Equalities Officer: Alan Rubin Castejón * Past President: Nico Matrecano

Notable Members

* Alasdair Allan MSP: Minister for Learning, Science and Scotland's Languages and

Member of the Scottish Parliament Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP; gd, Ball Pàrlamaid na h-Alba, BPA; sco, Memmer o the Scots Pairliament, MSP) is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament. Electoral system The add ...

for

Na h-Eileanan an Iar The Outer Hebrides () or Western Isles ( gd, Na h-Eileanan Siar or or ("islands of the strangers"); sco, Waster Isles), sometimes known as the Long Isle/Long Island ( gd, An t-Eilean Fada, links=no), is an island chain off the west coast ...

* Mhairi Black MP:

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...

for Paisley and Renfrewshire South * Angela Constance MSP: Minister for Drugs Policy and

for Almond Valley *

: Former President of the

and winner of the 1967 Hamilton by-election * Ian Hamilton QC: Advocate and one of the students involved in the removal of the Stone of Scone from Westminster Abbey in 1950 * Jamie Hepburn MSP:

Minister for Higher Education and Further Education, Youth Employment and Training The Minister for Higher Education and Further Education, Youth Employment and Training is a Junior ministerial post in the Scottish Executive Education Department, Education Department of the Scottish Government. As a result, the Minister does no ...

and

for Cumbernauld and Kilsyth * Màiri McAllan MSP: Minister for Environment, Biodiversity and Land Reform and

for Clydesdale *

: Former

Regius Chair of Public Law and the Law of Nature and Nations The Regius Chair of Public Law and the Law of Nature and Nations is a Regius Professorship at the University of Edinburgh. It was established in 1707 by Queen Anne, and was the first chair in law created at the university. History The chair wa ...

at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 1 ...

and

Member of the European Parliament A Member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament. When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the ECSC) first met in 1952, its ...

* Nicola Sturgeon MSP:

First Minister of Scotland The first minister of Scotland ( sco, heid meinister o Scotland; gd, prìomh mhinistear na h-Alba ) is the head of the Scottish Government and keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland. The first minister chair ...

and

for Glasgow Southside

References

External links

*
Glasgow University Scottish Nationalist Association
on Facebook {{Authority control 1927 establishments in Scotland Scottish National Party Scottish Nationalist Association Scottish Nationalist Association Student organizations established in 1927