Jim Wallace, Scotland’s first-ever deputy first minister, has died following complications from surgery, his family announced.
Lord Wallace was undergoing a scheduled major operation at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh on Thursday when he passed away due to unforeseen complications.
His wife, Rosie Wallace, said: “The family are very shocked by Jim’s death. It was all so sudden. He was still incredibly active in a whole host of areas.”
She added: “Jim was still going up and down to London and participating fully in the House of Lords. He was singing in the Dunblane Cathedral choir over the festive period and he was so looking forward to spending even more time with his grandchildren.”
She said it “brings some comfort” that he had been “surrounded by those he loved most when he died”.
And she added she was “thankful” the whole family had been together in Scotland over Christmas when Clare, one of their two daughters, and her family had flown in from New Zealand.
A former Liberal MP for Orkney and Shetland, Lord Wallace served 18 years at the House of Commons, becoming Scottish Liberal Democrat leader in 1992 during his time there.
He led the Scottish Lib Dems in the first ever Holyrood elections in 1999, winning the Orkney constituency with 67 per cent of the votes cast, and serving as both an MSP and MP till he stood down from Westminster in 2001.
He took the party into coalition with Labour, which won the first Scottish Parliament elections – with that move seeing him become the country’s first deputy first minister.
He served three times as acting first minister, when the then first minister Donald Dewar underwent heart surgery in 2000 and later again that same year after Mr Dewar’s death. He also stepped into the role again in 2001, after the resignation of Mr Dewar’s successor, Henry McLeish.
He stepped down from Holyrood at the 2007 elections, the same year which he became a life peer in the Lords, going on to serve as advocate general for Scotland in the UK Government from 2010 to 2015.
He also served as the moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland from 2021 to 2022.
Since Lord Wallace’s death was announced, tributes have been pouring in for the 71-year-old.
Russel Findlay, leader of Scottish Conservatives, shared on social media: “A sudden and premature loss of a true giant, and gentleman, of Scottish politics. Condolences to Jim’s family and friends from the Scottish Conservatives.”
Conservative MSP Liz Smith said: “I am so very sorry to hear this news. Jim Wallace was a very fine politician and a gentleman who cared deeply about his country and the integrity of the political system. He will be greatly missed.”
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