Kay Ullrich

Catherine Mario MorrisonBirth certificate of Catherine Mario Morrison, 1943, 606/ 62 Monkton and Prestwick - National Records of Scotland

was born on 5 May 1943 in Prestwick as the only child of Jack Dallas Morrison and Charlotte Morrison (née Neil).{{Cite news |title=Kay Ullrich obituary |newspaper=The Times |language=en |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/obituaries/article/kay-ullrich-obituary-fk5mb8trm |access-date=2022-09-11 |issn=0140-0460}}[https://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-38350?rskey=GWRVUB&result=1 Who's Who 2021: Ullrich, Kay Morrison] Her father was a member of the Scottish Unionist Party. She was educated at Ayr Academy, before gaining a Certificate of Qualification in Social Work at Queen's College in Glasgow.

In 1965, Ullrich joined the Scottish National Party (SNP), having felt anger at Polaris nuclear missiles being stationed on the Clyde,{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-55531072 |title=Tributes to former MSP who 'inspired Nicola Sturgeon'|publisher=BBC News|date=4 January 2021 |access-date=4 January 2021}} and campaigned for Scottish independence all her life. She was a school swimming instructor from 1973 to 1982 and then worked as a school, hospital and court social worker from 1984 to 1997.{{cite news |url=https://www.tes.com/news/pupils-left-out-swim |title=Pupils left out of the swim |first=David |last=Henderson |work=TES |date=28 September 2001 |access-date=4 January 2021}}{{Cite web |date=2003-02-21 |title=Back |url=http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~snpwos/Kays%20page.htm |access-date=2022-09-11 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030221204632/http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~snpwos/Kays%20page.htm |archive-date=21 February 2003 |url-status=dead}} She took early retirement from social work in 1997.{{Cite news|title='I'll miss her so much': Nicola Sturgeon 'devastated' by death of SNP 'stalwart' Kay Ullrich|url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/nicola-sturgeon-devastated-death-snp-stalwart-kay-ullrich-3084393|access-date=5 January 2021|newspaper=The Scotsman|language=en}}

Ullrich stood unsuccessfully as an SNP candidate at several general elections: Cunninghame South (Both at the 1983 and 1987 UK general elections){{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=e8JAAAAAIBAJ&pg=2844%2C2116177 |title=How they voted in Scotland |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=22 June 1983 |page=13 |access-date=4 January 2021}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kUw1AAAAIBAJ&pg=2402%2C3193093 |title=Election 87 results |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=12 June 1987 |page=15 |access-date=4 January 2021}} and Motherwell South at the 1992 general election with Andrew Wilson as her election agent.{{cite news |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion/columnists/andrew-wilson-take-risk-local-government-1512627 |title=Andrew Wilson: Take risk with local government |work=Scotland on Sunday |date=15 February 2015 |access-date=4 January 2021}} The sudden death of Labour Leader John Smith in May 1994 triggered the Monklands East by-election, where Ullrich also stood as an SNP candidate. She reduced Labour's majority at the election, but was defeated by Labour's candidate Helen Liddell.{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/scandalhit-labour-holds-monklands-by-a-whisker-1417450.html |title=Scandal-hit Labour holds Monklands by a whisker |first=John |last=Arlidge |work=The Independent |date=30 June 1994 |access-date=4 January 2021}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.alba.org.uk/nextwe/w02.html |title=Scottish Politics – Candidates & Constituency Assessments: Cunninghame North |access-date=20 October 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070310211344/http://www.alba.org.uk/nextwe/w02.html |archive-date=10 March 2007 |url-status=usurped }}

At the 1999 Scottish Parliament election, Ullrich stood as a constituency candidate in Cunninghame North, where she was runner-up to Allan Wilson.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/vote_99/scotland_99/html/constituency/16.stm|title=Vote 99. Scotland. Cunninghame North |work=BBC News |access-date=26 November 2020}} However, as she had been placed second on the SNP's West of Scotland list,{{cite news|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12006977.fundamentalist-group-of-hardliners-to-give-salmond-turbulent-time-in-scottish-parliament-snp-army-ready-for-fight/ |title='Fundamentalist' group of hardliners to give Salmond turbulent time in Scottish Parliament. SNP army ready for fight |work=The Herald |location=Glasgow |date=20 January 1999 |access-date=4 January 2021}} she was able to enter Parliament as a regional list Member.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/vote_99/scotland_99/html/region/208.stm |title=Vote 99. Scotland. West of Scotland |work=BBC News |access-date=26 November 2020}} By November, squabbles between Wilson and her around who might represent a constituent led to the deputy presiding officer George Reid stepping in to work towards clarifying the roles of constituency and regional list Members.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/519948.stm |title=MSPs fight over status |work=BBC News|date=14 November 1999 |access-date=4 January 2021}} The "Reid Principles" were set out, incorporated into the Members of Scottish Parliament code of conduct and endorsed by Parliament.{{cite report |url=https://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=4247&i=28327&c=731349 |title=Official report. 6 July 2000. motion S1M-1087. Relationships between MSPs: Guidance from the Presiding Officer |publisher=Scottish Parliament|access-date=5 January 2021}}

During her time in Parliament, Ullrich served as deputy convener of the Equal Opportunities Committee (2000–03) and convener of the Commissioner for Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill committee (January–March 2003).{{cite web |url=https://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/PreviousCommittees/15340.aspx|title=Previous Committees > Session 1 > Commissioner for Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill > Membership|publisher=Scottish Parliament |website=www.parliament.scot|date=27 April 2011 |access-date=5 January 2021}} She was also a member of the Health and Community Care Committee (1999–2003) and the Procedures Committee (2000–01). On 26 May 1999, Leader of the Opposition Alex Salmond announced Ullrich as the Shadow Minister for health and Community Care.{{cite journal|date=1 May 1999|title=Measures to improve underfunding are central to Scottish election health policies|journal=BMJ|volume=318|issue=7192|pages=1166|doi=10.1136/bmj.318.7192.1166|pmid=10221935|pmc=1115581}}{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/353463.stm |title=Dewar urged to reveal Holyrood cost |work=BBC News |date=26 May 1999 |access-date=4 January 2021}} The following year, future First Minister John Swinney replaced Salmond as SNP leader and days later, on 26 September 2000, she was appointed Chief Whip, a role which she held until the dissolution of parliament.{{cite web |url=https://beta.parliament.scot/msps/current-and-previous-msps/kay-ullrich |title=About Kay Ullrich |publisher=Scottish Parliament |website=beta.parliament.scot |access-date=4 January 2021}}{{cite web |url=https://www.parliament.scot/msps/32252.aspx |title=Previous MSPs: Session 1 (1999–2003): Kay Ullrich |publisher=Scottish Parliament |access-date=26 November 2020 }}{{Dead link|date=April 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} She stood down at the 2003 election.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/2847147.stm |title=Farewell to the parliament |work=BBC News |date=2 April 2003 |access-date=4 January 2021}} After Parliament, she worked as a safeguarder with the Children's Panel. In 2005, following the retirement of Winnie Ewing, Ullrich stood for the position of SNP President,{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4705447.stm |title=Four join race for SNP presidency |work=BBC News |date=22 July 2005 |access-date=26 November 2020}} losing to Ian Hudghton.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4277004.stm |title=SNP pledges guaranteed treatment |work=BBC News|date=24 September 2005 |access-date=4 January 2021}}

In 1987, sixteen-year-old Nicola Sturgeon approached Ullrich to work on her general election campaign. Ullrich later supported Sturgeon when she stood for selection as a candidate in Glasgow Shettleston in 1992, stating "This lady here will be the first female leader of the SNP one day". Sturgeon acknowledged Ullrich as a mentor, and Ullrich was present at the Scottish Parliament as a guest when Sturgeon became Scotland's first female First Minister in November 2014.{{cite news |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13190341.sturgeon-makes-history-to-become-first-minister/ |title=Sturgeon makes history |first=Magnus |last=Gardham |work=The Herald |date=20 November 2014|access-date=5 January 2021}}

Ullrich was a member of UNISON.{{Cite web|last=Report|first=Official|date=24 January 2014|title=Official Report|url=https://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=2834&mode=html|access-date=5 January 2021|website=www.parliament.scot}}

Ullrich was presented, posthumously, (received by her widower and granddaughter) with the SNP President's Prize by Michael Russell at the SNP party conference in November 2021, in recognition of her "exceptional active commitment to the SNP and Scottish Independence". The conference was held virtually due the restrictions imposed as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The award was initiated by Winnie Ewing. Ms Sturgeon, in acknowledging Ullrich's deserved award for her contribution said that ' I wouldn't be standing here today as First Minister of Scotland without the influence, the support, the mentoring of over decades of Kay Ullrich'.{{Cite web|last=Mason|first=Richard|date=27 November 2021|title=Kay Ullrich posthumously recognised with SNP President's Prize|url=https://www.thenational.scot/news/19746436.kay-ullrich-brought-nicola-sturgeon-politics-recognised-snp-prize/|access-date=2021-11-29|website=The National|page=6|language=en}}

Ullrich married and had two children; one son and one daughter, journalist Shelley Jofre.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-32960011|title=Nicola Sturgeon: The first minister and me |first=Shelley |last=Jofre|date=1 June 2015|work=BBC News|access-date=1 June 2015}} She died on 4 January 2021 at the age of 77.{{Cite web|last=McCall|first=Chris|date=4 January 2021|title=Tributes paid to former MSP Kay Ullrich who predicted rise of Nicola Sturgeon|url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/tributes-paid-former-snp-msp-23258241|access-date=4 January 2021|website=Daily Record|language=en}}

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Category:1943 births

Category:2021 deaths

Category:20th-century Scottish women politicians

Category:Female members of the Scottish Parliament

Category:Members of the Scottish Parliament 1999–2003

Category:People from Prestwick

Category:Scottish National Party MSPs

Category:Scottish National Party parliamentary candidates

Category:Scottish social workers

Category:Scottish republicans