TRIBUTE TO DONALD DEWAR (1937-2000)

The sudden and unexpected death of Scotland's First Minister is an event that even the light-hearted folk of FirstFoot can treat with nothing but sombre seriousness.

Visitors to our site will know that it is not our usual place to pass serious comment on the affairs of the day, at least not without some degree of levity.

For Mr.Dewar, however, we make this exception.

We leave the glowing obituaries to the mainstream media, but take this opportunity to add our own small epitaph to the man dubbed "The Father of the Nation" for his leading part in making a Scottish Parliament a reality.

The first words of the "Scotland Act" of 1997 state quite simply, "There shall be a Scottish Parliament."

Upon reading these words aloud for the first time to the assembled House of Commons, Donald, then Secretary of State for Scotland, grinned and interjected quite unashamedly, "I like the sound of that."

We like the sound of it too, Donald. Very much.

God bless you.