Tag Archives: helen watt

Many of us have expressed the opinion that 2016 can just do one. The deaths early in the year of national treasures, the heroes we’d grown up with,  like David Bowie and Alan Rickman shocked us. In Scotland, that sense of loss has intensified and come closer to home as we learned of the passing on Monday of one of our most popular and stalwart members, Helen Watt.

Helen was convener of the Scottish Party’s Conference Committee between 2003 and 2007. She also chaired and held most of the offices of Scottish Women Liberal Democrats.  She stood for Parliament, both Holyrood and Westminster, many times. A member in East Dunbartonshire, she was a critical part of Jo Swinson’s campaign team from the very beginning and helped to elect the area’s councillors.

I served as an office bearer with her and always admired  and learned from her  practicality and common sense as I have neither.

Helen’s capacity for work was incredible. As well as full-on Liberal Democrat commitments, her retirement was taken up with other voluntary organisations such as Meals on Wheels. Everything she did was accomplished with energy, warmth and humour. The thought of not hearing that infectious laugh again makes me very sad. The last thing she would want, though, is sadness. Her instructions for her memorial events included positivity and red wine. I have shared many a bottle with her over the years, often well into the early hours. I have fond memories of one first thing Sunday Conference debate that she was chairing and I was aiding where we were a little ashen-faced and sleep-deprived but we got through it unscathed.