Adam Hunter MP

Dunfermline Burghs 1964 - 1979

Adam Hunter was born in Sauchie, Clackmannanshire in 1908 and moved at the age of five to Kelty where he remained the rest of his life. He went to work in the local colliery at the age of fourteen. Like many of his generation he began to think about the political situation especially as he was on strike in 1926 and although interested in everything a normal teenaged boy would have Adam also saw the importance of collective action in his community and set about informing himself to make the best contribution he could. There were two big influences in his political education the Cooperative movement and the National Council of Labour Colleges.

From a relatively early age a very important part of Adam Hunter’s life revolved around Kelty Labour Party, the Co-op and the Miners Union. Adam was elected as union delegate for the local Aitken Pit and elected to the unions Scottish Executive Committee in 1962. The Dunfermline Burghs Constituency member, Dr Alan Thompson, announced in 1963 that he would not seek re-election and the Labour Party selected Adam as their candidate for the 1964 General Election.

Adam Hunter proved to be a first class constituency MP his experience of local community politics was great asset and a marked contrast with his predecessor. The Queen Margaret Hospital is just one example of Adams foresight. The land for the Hospital was owned by the Scottish Office and originally earmarked for the prison service. Adam lobbied Bruce Millan, the Labour Secretary of State for Scotland, both hard and persuasively and eventually the Scottish Office yielded the site.

When Adam Hunter retired in 1979 it was no wonder that his successor found Adam a hard act to follow.

Picture shows Adam Hunter seated on the left also Harry Gourlay MP seated and Bill Hamilton MP standing on right