Collection: Jim Sillars

Jim Sillars, born in 1937, followed his father into work on the railways before joining the Royal Navy. When he later joined the Fire Brigade, he started his political career, active in the Fire Brigades Union and the Scottish Trade Union Congress. He became the Labour MP for South Ayrshire in 1970 and worked tirelessly for the establishment of a Scottish Assembly. He is married to the independent MSP Margo MacDonald and is an articulate spokesman for the cause of socialism and independence.