Robin Cook Dies, Age 59

Widely regarded as one of the most able Parlimentarians of his time, it's a real shame to see Robin Cook die so damn young. He was smart, able, and principled.

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It is believed he was taken ill while walking with his wife Gaynor near the summit of Ben Stack, at around 1420 BST, Northern Constabulary said. Mr Cook was flown by coastguard helicopter to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, where he was pronounced dead, said an NHS Highland spokesman.

The Labour MP for Livingston was considered one of the Commons' most intelligent MPs and one of its most skilled debaters. He spectacularly resigned from Tony Blair's Cabinet in March 2003 over the Iraq crisis.

But many people regard Robin Cook's finest moment in the Commons as his devastating analysis of the Scott report on the arms-to-Iraq scandal

Some of Mr Cook's enemies regarded him as arrogant and distant, while his supporters believed he should have led his party.
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Whether or not you agree with his stand against the Iraq war, he certainly deserves credit for being one of the few politicians around, not just in the UK, that is willing to stand on principle and not compromise what he believes. Of course, he also had some personal scandal that kind of throws doubt on the whole "man of honor" theory. Whatever the conclusions, Labour has lost someone of great importance, and the entire Commons should mourn this loss.