THE return of the Stone of Destiny to Scotland — one of the final acts of the Major government — was the brainchild of the 10-year-old daughter of the then Scottish secretary, Michael Forsyth, it has been revealed.

The decision — widely regarded as an ill-fated attempt to win back support in Scotland for John Major’s beleaguered government and to arrest demand for devolution — was prompted by the persistence of Forsyth’s daughter Katy.

Writing in a new book on the history of Scottish secretaries of state, Forsyth recalls: “Katy said, ‘Dad, you know how you’re secretary of state for Scotland? There’s something you need to do; you need to get the Stone of Destiny back to Scotland.’

“I gave her all the arguments against, and she said: ‘But it’s ours; it was stolen; shouldn’t it be brought back?’ That became the ‘Katy Question’.”

The stone had been taken to London in the 13th century by Edward I, who had removed it from Scone, the capital of the ancient Pictish kingdom, where it is believed to have been the coronation seat of Scottish kings. It was placed beneath the Coronation Chair of Westminster Abbey in 1296.

Forsyth, a close ally of Margaret Thatcher and outspoken opponent of devolution, added: “Katy posed the key question, about who it belonged to. The answer was that it belonged to Scotland.”

Without telling any of his Scottish Office officials, Forsyth approached Major and got his agreement that the 336lb lump of yellow sandstone, also known as the Stone of Scone, could be taken from Westminster Abbey.

“The Stone of Destiny actually belongs to the monarch and what happens to it is a matter for the Queen,” he said.

“I managed to get the prime minister to raise it with the palace and he gave his advice that it might be a good idea to return the Stone to Scotland.

“I was absolutely delighted when the news came through that we had got the go-ahead to proceed.”

The stone arrived back on Scottish soil on November 15, 1996. It was welcomed by Forsyth as it was escorted over the River Tweed by the Coldstream Guards.

“My daughter came down to Westminster to see the statement on the Stone being made by the prime minister,” Forsyth recalled. “She said to me triumphantly, ‘It was all my idea you know’.”

Dr Alex Wright, a Scottish political expert at Dundee University, said: “Symbolically, the return of the stone was a very important event. At that time the Tories were seen as an English-based, anti-Scottish party.”

Forsyth was Scottish secretary between 1995 and 1997 when he lost his seat, along with other Scottish Tory MPs, in the Labour landslide election victory.

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