Lord Jim Wallace dies as heartbroken household speaks of shock | Politics | News | EUROtoday

Former Scottish deputy first minister Jim Wallace has died after struggling issues on account of surgical procedure, his household has mentioned. Lord Wallace, 71, who served as Holyrood’s first ever deputy first minister, was present process what has been described as a scheduled however main process on the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh on Thursday. However, he died on account of issues.

His spouse, Rosie Wallace, mentioned: “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 mentioned it “brings some comfort” that he had been “surrounded by those he loved most when he died”.

And she added she was “thankful” the entire household had been collectively in Scotland over Christmas when Clare, certainly one of their two daughters, and her household had flown in from New Zealand.

A former Liberal MP for Orkney and Shetland, he served 18 years on the House of Commons, turning into Scottish Liberal Democrat chief in 1992 throughout his time there.

He led the Scottish Lib Dems within the first ever Holyrood elections in 1999, successful the Orkney constituency with 67% of the votes forged, and serving as each an MSP and MP until he stood down from Westminster in 2001.

He took the occasion into coalition with Labour, which received the primary Scottish Parliament elections – with that transfer seeing him turn into the nation’s first deputy first minister.

He served thrice as appearing first minister, when the then first minister Donald Dewar underwent coronary heart surgical procedure in 2000 and later once more that very same 12 months after Mr Dewar’s demise. He additionally stepped into the position once more in 2001, after the resignation of Mr Dewar’s successor, Henry McLeish.

He stepped down from Holyrood on the 2007 elections, the identical 12 months which he grew to become a life peer within the Lords, occurring to function advocate normal for Scotland within the UK Government from 2010 to 2015.

He additionally served because the moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland from 2021 to 2022.