PM leads tributes at MP funeral

PM Gordon Brown was among the many Labour colleagues who attended

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has led the tributes at the Fife funeral of Labour MP John MacDougall.

Mr Brown arrived at the service in Erskine church, Burntisland, with wife Sarah and led the tributes to his long-standing friend and colleague.

Mr MacDougall, MP for Glenrothes, died on 13 August after a long battle with the lung disease mesothelioma.

His death prompts a difficult by-election for Labour which will be defending a majority of 10,664.

A number of UK Cabinet Ministers, including Defence Secretary Des Browne and International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander joined the mourners which included a number of backbench colleagues.

The funeral was led by John Allan, a retired minister and family friend with a eulogy being given by another close friend Scott Brady, who worked in Mr MacDougall's constituency office.

Speaking after the service, former First Minister Jack McConnell, said: "His son and daughter spoke lovingly about their father and the influence he had had on them and the role that he played in their lives and how much they would miss him.

"At the same time his public life was reflected in the other contributions that spoke of his passion for this community and the fighter that he had been for Burntisland and Fife."

John MacDougall lost his battle against mesothelioma on 13 August

A lone piper played in the mourners who also included former Scottish first minister Jack McConnell, Sir Menzies Campbell, the ex-Liberal Democrat leader who represents nearby North East Fife, and Angus Robertson, the SNP leader at Westminster.

Another former Labour first minister, Henry McLeish, who is reportedly in the frame to stand for the vacant Glenrothes seat, also attended, as well as Labour MSPs John Park, Claire Baker and Helen Eadie, and Tricia Marwick of the SNP.

Among the Labour MPs in attendance were Frank Roy, former transport minister Gavin Strang, Tom Clarke, Jim Devine, Anne Moffat, Jim McGovern, and former agriculture secretary Nick Brown.