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Lord Jim Wallace, who made history as Scotland’s inaugural Deputy First Minister, has died at the age of 71.
The former Scottish Liberal Democrat leader reportedly suffered complications following a procedure at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh on Thursday.
Rosie Wallace, his wife, expressed the family’s profound shock, stating, “It was all so sudden. He was still incredibly active across a multitude of areas.”
Alex Cole-Hamilton, the current leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, hailed Wallace as “one of the architects of modern Scotland.”
As a mark of respect, flags at the Scottish Parliament are flying at half-mast until 20:00 on Friday.
Wallace’s political career saw him elected as the Member of Parliament for Orkney and Shetland in 1983. He then joined the Scottish Parliament in 1999 as the MSP for Orkney.
During his tenure as Deputy First Minister, Wallace assumed the responsibilities of Scotland’s top political office on several occasions, including periods following the death of Donald Dewar and the resignation of Henry McLeish.
He concluded his service as an MSP in 2007 and was subsequently appointed to the House of Lords.
Wallace also served on Sir Kenneth Calman’s commission on devolution, which advocated for the expansion of Holyrood’s powers.
A well-regarded figure within the Liberal Democrats, he actively campaigned alongside his successor, Alex Cole-Hamilton, as recently as 2024.
Cole-Hamilton lauded Wallace as “one of the finest liberals our party has ever produced.”
He added, “For me personally, he was a mainstay of support throughout my adult life. Even as he went into hospital for the final time, he was still sending me words of advice and I will always try to live up to the standards he set.”
“Throughout his career, Jim was widely respected across party lines for his integrity, calm judgement and deep belief in liberal values: fairness, the rule of law and respect for communities, no matter how remote.”
“Scotland is a better country because of Jim Wallace, and the Liberal Democrats are a better party because of his example.”
Born in Annan, Dumfries and Galloway, Wallace was educated at Annan Academy before pursuing higher education at Cambridge and Edinburgh universities.
He was called to the bar in 1979, specializing in civil law cases, and achieved the rank of Queen’s Counsel (QC) in 1997.
First Minister John Swinney expressed his “profound shock” at the news of Wallace’s passing, emphasizing that his contribution to Scotland is “demonstrated by the success and strength of the Scottish Parliament.”
Swinney noted, “Jim helped shape the very first Parliament, and he remained an important contributor to Holyrood as a champion of devolution and a strengthened Scottish Parliament.”
“I enjoyed and valued a warm personal friendship with Jim and appreciated the immense personal kindness he always showed to me and my family.”
Former First Minister Jack McConnell described Wallace as “the best of men.”
Lord McConnell stated, “His contribution to securing a Scottish Parliament, being the best deputy to three first ministers that any of us could have hoped for, and a fantastic cabinet minister too, will never be matched.”
“Honest, reliable, and filled with compassion. What a loss he is — but what a difference he made.”
He concluded, “I will miss him dearly.”
Henry McLeish, another former First Minister, told BBC News that Scotland had lost “not only a great politician and public servant but one of the finest colleagues I’ve ever worked with.”
He said: “He was honest. He had vision. He made an enormous contribution to making sure that the parliament we have today is working in the way that all of us imagined some years ago.
“Jim was just a very faithful, committed Scot wanting the best for his country and working in so many different forums to achieve that. Across party lines, across country, he will be sadly missed.
“Politics can be a gruesome business. You know, you can have your ups and downs, your likes and dislikes, but nobody, I think, disliked Jim. And he put his heart into every effort he was involved in. Great Scot, great politician, and in that sense will always be remembered.”
Wallace was raised within the Church of Scotland, where his father served as an elder. Religion and politics were intertwined interests and influences throughout his life.
In 2021, he assumed the role of Moderator of the Church of Scotland.
The Kirk’s current Moderator, the Rt Rev Rosie Frew, expressed her “shock and sadness” at Lord Wallace’s passing.
She described him as “kind, accommodating, informative, and entertaining.”
She added, “It was both a joy and a privilege to spend time with him and his wife, Rosie.”
“He served both church and state faithfully and well over many years.”
“My thoughts and prayers are with Rosie and their family at this difficult time.”
Wallace’s wife, Rosie, mentioned that he sang in the Dunblane Cathedral choir during the festive season and was looking forward to spending more time with his grandchildren.
She stated that it “brings some comfort” that he was “surrounded by those he loved most when he died.”
She added that she was “thankful” that the entire family had been together in Scotland over Christmas, as Clare, one of their two daughters, and her family had flown in from New Zealand.
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