1969 Scottish National Party leadership election

Scottish National Party (SNP) leadership election May 2017 May 2017 1969 Scottish National Party leadership election presidential no 1967 Scottish National Party leadership election 1967 1979 Scottish National Party leadership election 1979 2 June 1969 William Wolfe 544 69.6% 160x160px|Arthur Donaldson Arthur Donaldson 238 30.4% Leader Arthur Donaldson William Wolfe There was a Scottish National Party leadership election in 1969. The election saw the incumbent Arthur Donaldson defeated by William Wolfe. By 1969, Arthur Donaldson had been party leader for nine years, and was in his late 60s. Despite his success in growing the party, Donaldson was not without his critics, and at the 1967 SNP Annual Conference he had faced a leadership challenge from Douglas Drysdale, which he comfortably defeated. In January 1969, Arthur Donaldson announced his intention to stand down from the SNP leadership. Many party members felt the SNP needed someone younger than Donaldson (then 68 years old) to lead the party. However, following a number of requests from SNP branches and members that he reconsider his decision to resign so close to a forthcoming general election, he decided to put himself forward for re-nomination as leader at the 1969 SNP Annual National Conference. At conference in June of that year, the SNP's deputy leader, William Wolfe, was elected as leader by 544 votes to 238 for Donaldson. James Halliday and Gordon Wilson, 'Donaldson, Arthur William (1901–1993)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press Result Candidate Delegate votesSCOTTISH NATIONAL PARTY (SNP) LEADERSHIP ELECTIONS 1969-2014 Votes % William Wolfe 544 69.6 FFFF00 69.6% Arthur Donaldson 238 30.4 FFFF00 30.4% References 1969 Scottish National Party leadership election Scottish National Party leadership election Category:1960s elections in Scotland Scottish National Party leadership election Scottish National Party leadership election Scottish National Party leadership election