RIP David Cairns
In amongst all the frenzy engulfing Scottish politics over the election results, let’s spare a thought for the loved ones of David Cairns MP, who lost his battle against pancreatitis last night. The MP for Inverclyde was the first former Catholic priest to enter the Commons, and was Number 2 at the Scotland Office for the first year of the SNP minority Government, which put him on the front line of the political divide in Scotland until his resignation in exasperation at Gordon Brown’s leadership. Yet the most staggering fact is how old (or rather, how young) he was: 44 is no age to die.
There will, of course, have to be a By-Election in Inverclyde, and all sorts of political permutations to revel in once that campaign gets up and running.
But not today.
