- Glasgow University Scottish Nationalist Association
The Glasgow University Scottish Nationalist Association (GUSNA) is a student organisation formed in 1927 at the
University of Glasgow which supportsScottish independence .GUSNA is important historically as it predated many pro-independence organisations including the
Scottish National Party itself. It is the forerunner of theNational Party of Scotland (NPS), which it played a key role in forming, which is itself a forerunner of the modern Scottish National Party. [http://www.archiveshub.ac.uk/news/02102901.html]History
One prime mover in the formation of GUSNA was
John MacCormick who had previously been involved in theGlasgow University Labour Club . [http://theglasgowstory.com/image.php?inum=TGSD00090]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 ) took theStone of Destiny fromWestminster Abbey on Christmas Day 1950. This caused a huge scandal amongst the British establishment and it wasn't until April 1951 that the stone was found by the authorities. [http://www.travelscotland.co.uk/guide/Stone_Destiny]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 beenPat Kane ,Dorothy-Grace Elder , Ian Hamilton and the noted writer and artistAlasdair Gray .GUSNA is a constituent member of the SNP Student Wing, theFederation of Student Nationalists (FSN) and played a leading role in the FSN's formation in the 1960s.Prominent former members of GUSNA have included
Winnie Ewing andNeil MacCormick MEP (son of John MacCormick). [http://www.abdn.ac.uk/mediareleases/release.php?id=62] , The President for the current academic year is Caroline Henderson.The past-President for the academic year ending 2006 was Laura Love.External links
* [http://www.gusna.com Glasgow University Scottish Nationalist Association website]
* [http://www.snp.org Scottish National Party]
* [http://www.snpstudents.org Federation of Student Nationlists]
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