William Cuthbertson Wolfe (22 February 1924 – 18 March 2010) was a Scottish accountant, manufacturer and Scottish National Party (SNP) politician. He was the National Convenor (leader) of the SNP from 1969 to 1979, playing a central role in the transformation of the SNP into a modern, progressive political movement, and in the development of the SNP's social democratic political philosophy. Background Wolfe was born in Bathgate, West Lothian, the son of Thomas Wolfe, owner of George Wolfe & Sons Ltd. and the Bathgate Forge Co. Ltd, which manufactured shovels. He was educated at Bathgate Academy and George Watson's College, Edinburgh, and saw active service during World War II, serving with the Scottish Horse (Royal Artillery) from 1942 to 1947 in France, the Low Countries, Germany, Indonesia and Malaya. Following demobilization, he qualified as a chartered accountant in 1952, and was company secretary of the family firms from 1952 to 1964. He later established his own business, Chieftain Forge Ltd (1964–1986), supplying and manufacturing forestry equipment and shovels. Billy Wolfe was a man of wide interests: a longstanding member of the Saltire Society, the Scout Association and the Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, a Justice of the Peace, and an officebearer in the Scottish Poetry Library, as well as being a poet in Scots in his own right. Initially he was more interested in cultural matters, but his dissatisfaction with the government of Scotland grew, and he became convinced of the need for Scottish independence. Political career Wolfe joined the SNP in 1959. He stood as the SNP candidate in the 1962 West Lothian by-election against Tam Dalyell, making a stunning impact by coming in second place in an area where the SNP had previously made little impact. The result propelled him into party office as vice-chairman for Policy and Publicity in 1964, and then as Senior Vice-chairman (Deputy Leader) in 1966. Wolfe formed the Social and Economic Inquiry Society of Scotland, a forum committed to advancing the case for independence through statistical research. His idea of fusing the St Andrew's Cross with a thistle led to the creation of a distinctive new SNP logo, which is still in use today. He played a central role in the development of party policy, writing an iconic policy statement, SNP and You, which radically changed the SNP's outlook, adapting the existing policy on decentralization to accommodate the social strains from ongoing deindustrialization.