Donald Dewar, the First Minister of Scotland, and the first person to hold that position, has died. He suffered a brain haemorrhage and fell into a coma at about 7 p.m. on Tuesday. His children Ian (33) and Marion (35) after visiting him yesterday, made the decision to turn off his life-support machine after discussions with consultants. He died shortly after midday yesterday.
His death has caused shock throughout Scotland and amongst political colleagues. The Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, said: "We are in a state of shock and dismay. The Scottish Parliament is his achievement. It will be his testament. History will remember him for that."
Lord Robertson, the secretary general of NATO and a former Cabinet colleague of Mr Dewar, said: "Donald Dewar will be seen as one of Scotland's greatest sons, a man of unique talent and great decency." Cardinal Thomas Winning, the leader of Scotland's Catholic community, said he was "shocked and saddened" by the death of Mr Dewar.
"He was the happiest of men on that lovely July day last year when the Scottish Parliament for which he had so long campaigned became a reality, and I am glad that he had at least some time to offer his experience and stabilising influence to that Parliament in its earliest days.
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, said last night he was "deeply saddened" by Mr Dewar's death. "Over the years we struck up a warm personal relationship and I admired the skill with which he helped to create the first Scottish parliament in 300 years."
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, recalled Mr Dewar's "great personal integrity" and the "steadiness and wisdom with which he guided Scotland through the devolution process". Mr Dewar fell while leaving his official residence in Edinburgh on Tuesday morning. He brushed of a minor wrist cut and carried on with his duties. By mid afternoon colleagues were concerned when he said "I haven't felt this bad for a while".
He went by ambulance to Edinburgh's Royal Infirmary for a CAT scan, and then on to the Western General's neurological unit by late afternoon. David Whitton said Mr Dewar was joking on the way to the ward. At about 7 p.m. he lost consciousness and never recovered. He was taking the blood-thinning drug Warfarin following major heart surgery and doctors say this contributed to his quick demise.
According to the Scotland Act that Mr Dewar wrote and which is the founding legislation for Edinburgh's parliament, a new First Minister must be in place within 28 days. Labour Party officials have been meeting in private to sort out the internal election arrangements. The Minister for Enterprise, Henry McLeish, is tipped as the most likely successor, though he is not seen as a long-term solution.
The Scottish Executive is now lead by the Deputy First Minister Jim Wallace, the leader of Labour's coalition partners the Liberal Democrats.
Mr Dewar's death will force a double by-election as he represented Glasgow Anniesland at both Holyrood and London.