John MacCormick - Later Events

Later Events

He was elected Rector of the University of Glasgow in 1950 as GUSNA's candidate, serving until 1953; he was also awarded a honorary Doctorate of Laws by the university in 1951. This association with GUSNA also saw the formation of a political friendship with a then young law student at Glasgow University, Ian Hamilton, who had run his campaign to be elected rector.

He was involved, along with Hamilton, in the removal of the Stone of Destiny from Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day 1950 and its return to Arbroath Abbey. He was also responsible, again along with Hamilton, for MacCormick v. Lord Advocate, the constitutional challenge over Queen Elizabeth using the title the second, rather than the first in Scotland—there having been no Elizabeth I of Scotland.

In the 1951 he formed the Scottish Covenant Association, a non-partizan political organisation which campaigned to secure the establishment of a devolved Scottish Assembly. This covenant was hugely successful in securing support from across the political spectrum as well as in capturing the Scottish public's imagination (over 2 million signed a petition demanding the convocation of an Assembly). However, in the longrun it proved unsuccessful in establishing the Assembly MacCormick so craved, and it would not be until nearly 40 years after his death until Home Rule would be secured.

In 1955 MacCormick had a book detailing his activities in the home rule movement published, entitled The Flag in the Wind.