Robert Curran (Scottish politician)
Robert Curran (14 September 1923 – 28 September 1995) was a Scottish nationalist political activist.
Born in Alva, Clackmannanshire, Curran moved with his family to Canada in his childhood, but returned to study at Alva Academy.[1] Working as a confectioner,[2] he joined the Scottish National Party (SNP) in the early 1940s, and in 1944 was elected for the party to Alva Burgh Council. When only 25, he became the youngest provost in Scotland,[1] and the first SNP provost anywhere in the country.[3] During this time, he expressed a strong interest in Georgism.[4]
Curran stood for the SNP in the Stirling and Falkirk by-election, 1948, taking 8.5% of the vote and third place;[5] then again stood in Stirling and Falkirk at the 1950 general election, his vote share falling to 3.8%.[6] From 1951 until 1953, Curran served as National Secretary of the party, and he then ran the SNP's organising committee for a year, during which time he founded the National League for Young Scots. However, he then emigrated again to Canada, returning only in 1974. On his return, he again became involved with the SNP, and in 1980 was elected to Clackmannan District Council, serving for four years.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 "Robert Curran", The Herald, 5 October 1995
- ↑ Central Office of Information, Home Affairs Survey, Volume 1, p.48
- ↑ L. Corbett, Central Scotland: Land, Wildlife, People, p.185
- ↑ Land and Liberty, Volumes 56-57, p.158
- ↑ Tom Lannon, The Making of Modern Stirling, p.70
- ↑ "UK General Election results February 1950", Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Mary Fraser Dott |
National Secretary of the Scottish National Party 1951–1953 |
Succeeded by John Smart |