Background
Stewart was born in Ballymena to a Protestant family, and studied at the Ballymena Academy.
Stewart was born in Ballymena to a Protestant family, and studied at the Ballymena Academy.
He also became a Queen"s Scout and took an interest in his Scottish heritage. In 1955, Stewart joined the Communist Party of Northern Ireland, initially while teaching at Hemsworth Square School and then Somerdale School on the Shankill Road. He and Menzies attended the World Youth Festival in 1957, and in the same year he became general secretary of the party"s youth section.
The Communist Party of Northern Ireland merged into the Communist Party of Ireland in 1970, and Stewart left teaching to become a full-time party worker, remaining Deputy General Secretary of the new group.
In this role, he was active in the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association, Belfast Trades Council and the Connolly Association. He stood in the Northern Ireland Assembly election, 1973 in Belfast West, but took last place with only 123 votes, and also came bottom of the poll for Belfast City Council at the 1977, 1981 and 1985 local elections.
Stewart rose to become general secretary of the party in 1984, serving until 2001, when he instead became its chairman.