This semester, Archives and Special Collections have held four placements for the Arts & Humanities ARTU9W4 module. In the first of these placements, Aurora took on the challenge of cataloguing the Stephen Maxwell Archive, a recent addition to the University’s Scottish Political Archive. Here she shares her research into Stephen Maxwell and some thoughts from her placement.
Stephen Maxwell was a Scottish politician most active in the 70s and 80s. Being a founding member of the 79 Group and Scottish Socialist Society, Maxwell fought for Devolution and Independence for Scotland within and outside of the SNP. On my placement at the Scottish Political Archive I catalogued the Stephen Maxwell collection, which was kindly donated by his son.
Having not heard of Maxwell myself, I researched online and in the University library to find out more about the 79 Group and wider Independence cause but was surprised to discover how little I could find. In fact, the most prominent result was an article about Maxwell’s passing in 2012. Gaps in information such as this are the reason archives are important in preserving our history, allowing us to gain knowledge and understanding of lesser-known events and people. From my work in cataloguing the collection and wider reading I have gained a clearer picture of the life of Stephen Maxwell.
Maxwell was born in Edinburgh in 1942 but grew up in Yorkshire. After attending both St John’s College, Cambridge and the London School of Economics, he worked in London where he became interested in Scottish Nationalism and joined the SNP. Following this, Maxwell moved to Edinburgh where he joined the University’s Politics faculty as a researcher before becoming a lecturer. A document in the archive shows him still teaching here in the late 80s indicating that Maxwell enjoyed his time here, lecturing potential future politicians. During the 1970s, Maxwell took the post of Press Officer for the SNP while also writing regularly in political newspapers such as Scottish International and Question Political Review. It is evident that Maxwell placed importance on publicizing the Scottish Nationalist cause, through his work he informed the public of the reasons for Scottish Independence, bringing the campaign to the forefront of Scottish politics.
Following the 1979 election, Stephen Maxwell, among other SNP members, formed the 79 Group as a left-wing faction of the party in response to the SNP dropping its policies on devolution. The 79 Group brought in younger members who were unenthusiastic about the shift away from the left wing. This group of young members became the next generation of left-wing politicians who brought the SNP through Devolution and the early 21st century. Ian Blackford, former SNP leader for Westminster, is an example of this. He was a member of the 79 Group in his early career when they first formed. Blackford later reflected on how he had been included in discussions with the more experienced leaders such as Maxwell and Salmond and learned as a result. From Blackford’s experience it is easy to see the impact the group had at the time and today.
The SNP later ousted the 79 Group due to their disagreeing policies. Now independent of the SNP, the 79 Group kept its left-wing policies and continued to campaign for increased Scottish agency within the UK. Maxwell participated in publications as well as meetings which were held in various Scottish cities. These included at least one meeting at Stirling’s Cowane Centre, less than a fifteen-minute drive from where the Stephen Maxwell Archive is now kept at the University.
The later 80s and 90s are where most articles covering Stephen Maxwell’s political career stop. From a researcher’s perspective it could be understood that Maxwell stepped back from politics at this time. This is backed up by a decrease in articles and mentions in newspapers shown in the archive which suggests a decrease in influence. However, by the late eighties, most of the ousted members were readmitted to the SNP, including Maxwell, and were present for the Devolution campaign which took place in the next decade. The lack of documentation coincides with a period of reinvigorated left-wing policies for the SNP, leaving less reason for 79 group members to publicly disagree.
Most reports on Stephen Maxwell’s life mention his largest commitment outside of politics. This was his work in the third sector. As a member of the Scottish Education and Action for Development (SEAD), Maxwell helped promote campaigns against poverty and righting injustices amongst others. Following this, Maxwell joined the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) which aims to assist charities creating an outspoken and diverse third sector. Alex Salmond spoke after Maxwell’s passing about his dedication to volunteering and the development of community and power of individuals within it. Ultimately Stephen Maxwell looked to increase the capacity of Scottish people to enact change whether within the political sphere or outside of it.
Maxwell retired in 2009, stepping down as the SCVO Associate Director after a long career in politics and third sector work. Maxwell’s second book, a collection of essays named ‘The Case for Left Wing Nationalism’, was edited and published by his son following his passing in April 2012. Stephen Maxwell left a lasting, albeit quiet, impact on Scotland’s politics and people. It is clear that he advocated for the voice of Scottish people through his campaigns for Independence and work with the SCVO. I am grateful for the opportunity I was given to catalogue the Stephen Maxwell Archive as I got to learn about a key figure in Scottish politics. This project also demonstrated the important role archives have in preserving history of people and events which would otherwise be forgotten by later generations.
