Scottish Labour peer Baron Elder dies suddenly aged 73

Tributes have been paid to the Scottish Labour peer Baron Elder, who has died suddenly aged 73.

Murray Elder fell ill while attending the House of Lords on Tuesday and later died in hospital.

He helped draft plans for the Scottish Parliament, and served as an adviser to both John Smith and Donald Dewar.

Lord Elder was a close friend of the former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who said his life was "a study in personal courage and great achievement".

Sir Tony Blair said he was sorry to hear the news and described Lord Elder as one of the "important back room architects of devolution in Scotland".

Sir Tony, who was prime minister from 1997 to 2007, said: "He was someone who was deeply trusted by all who worked with him, admired for his judgement and his integrity. He only ever wanted the best for his party and country.

"He will be sorely missed and greatly mourned," he added.

Murray Elder was born in Kirkcaldy in 1950 and was educated at the town's schools, where he first met Gordon Brown.

After studying at the University of Edinburgh and a period working at the Bank of England he became the Scottish Labour Party's general secretary and a member of the executive of the Scottish Constitutional Convention (SCC).

The SCC brought together politicians, churches and civic groups to campaign and design the framework for a new Scottish Parliament.

After this, he became chief of staff to the then Labour leader John Smith. After Smith's death, Mr Elder was a special adviser to Donald Dewar during his time as Secretary of State for Scotland.

Mr Elder became Baron Elder of Kirkcaldy in 1999.

After a period of severe ill-health he underwent a heart transplant in 1988 and became one of the world's longest surviving transplant patients.

Baron Elder later took up hill-walking and went on to climb all 284 of Scotland's Munros (mountains over 30,00ft) by 2007. He was only the third British parliamentarian to achieve this feat.

Gordon Brown said: "As Sarah and I mourn the death of my close friend Murray, who I have known since our Kirkcaldy schooldays together, I also cherish that his life was a study in personal courage and of great achievement against the odds.

"One of the world's longest surviving heart transplant patients, he had to overcome tough medical challenges but never, ever complained or asked for special treatment, and his achievements are the triumph of determination and perseverance over adversity."

Mr Brown said Lord Elder left a great legacy for his country and his party.

"Throughout my own life, I have benefitted from Murray's undoubted good judgment and friendship. He was also a highly effective adviser, and his constant challenge that Labour to be successful should be both radical and credible continues to ring true," he added.

The Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Lord Elder was "Scottish Labour to his core".

He added: "His lifelong friendship, from nursery school onwards, with Gordon Brown led him to have a long and lasting impact working closely with every Labour prime minister of the modern age

"His work with John Smith, in particular, helped set Labour on the road to government.

"Always the consummate professional, he became a more public figure in later life and was a valued and respected member of the Labour group in the House of Lords. He will be much missed by his family and friends."

Baroness Elizabeth Smith, the widow of John Smith, said: "The whole Smith family is saddened by the loss of Murray Elder, who served John with great distinction as his chief of staff and who became a great family friend of all of us. He will be greatly missed."

Lords Speaker Lord McFall paid tribute to parliamentary staff and the London ambulance service for their efforts looking after Lord Elder after he fell ill on Tuesday.