Danus Skene facts for kids

Danus George Moncrieff Skene (born April 2, 1944 – died August 19, 2016) was a Scottish teacher, an expert in education, and a politician. He was known for his work in schools, his ideas about how education should work, and his involvement in Scottish politics. He also became the chief of his family's ancient Scottish clan.

His Early Life and Education

Danus Skene was born in Dundee, Scotland, and grew up in a place called Fife. He went to a famous school called Eton College. After that, he studied many different subjects at university. He learned about African Studies at the University of Sussex, how public services are managed at the University of Chicago, and education at the University of Aberdeen.

After finishing his studies, he became a schoolteacher in Elgin. He also taught in other countries like Israel and Kenya. Later, he worked for the education department of the Tayside Regional Council. He also helped make decisions for the Scottish Qualification Authority, which is important for school qualifications in Scotland.

Getting Involved in Politics

Danus Skene first joined the Labour Party. He tried to become a Member of Parliament for Kinross and West Perthshire in 1974, but he didn't win. He was also part of the Labour Party's Scottish Executive committee.

In 1976, he helped start a new group called the Scottish Labour Party (SLP), which had different ideas from the main Labour Party. He wrote about land policy for this new party. He also helped lead the "Yes for Scotland" campaign in the north during the 1979 Scottish devolution referendum. This vote was about whether Scotland should have its own parliament.

Just before the vote, he joined the Liberal Party. In 1980, he was elected as an independent councillor for Blair Atholl and Kinloch Rannoch on the Perth and Kinross District Council. This meant he represented those areas in local government.

He tried again to become a Member of Parliament for Tayside North in 1983 for the Liberals, but he wasn't successful. He also lost his council seat that same year. In 1987, he ran for Parliament in Moray and came in fourth place.

When the Liberal Party became part of the Liberal Democrats, he stayed active. He was on the party's list for Scotland in the 1999 European Parliament election. However, by 2007, he felt that the party had changed too much. He was a Scottish nationalist, meaning he believed Scotland should be an independent country, but he felt the Liberal Democrats were now more focused on keeping the United Kingdom together.

Becoming a Clan Chief

In the early 1990s, some members of Clan Skene from America contacted Danus. They thought he might be the true head of their clan. The Lord Lyon, who is the official in Scotland who deals with family histories and coats of arms, confirmed this. In 1994, Danus Skene was officially recognized as the Chief of the Name and Arms of Skene. This is a special role, like being the leader of a very old family group.

Later Political Work with the SNP

By the 2010s, Danus Skene was living in Lerwick, which is in the Shetland Islands. He was the chairman of Shetland Arts, an organization that supports arts and culture. He left this job to run for Parliament again in 2015. This time, he stood for the Scottish National Party (SNP) in Orkney and Shetland. He came in a close second place, getting 37.8% of the votes.

He was also chosen to be the SNP candidate for Shetland in the 2016 Scottish Parliament election. He came second in that election too, with 23.1% of the votes.

His Death

Danus Skene passed away in London on August 19, 2016, after having surgery.