Politicians from all parties will join the family and friends of Robin Cook today for the funeral of the former Foreign Secretary.More than 700 mourners are expected at St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh for the service. Mr Cook, 59, died on Saturday while on a walking holiday with his wife Gaynor in northern Scotland.
He was pronounced dead after being airlifted to hospital in Inverness and a post-mortem examination later established that he died of hypertensive heart disease.
The service is intended by friends and family to be a celebration of the life of Mr Cook, who cut his political teeth as a young councillor in Edinburgh at the municipal buildings just across the road from St Giles.
Impressionist Rory Bremner will be among the guests at the funeral and Scottish football legend Ally McCoist has also been invited. Most of the Cabinet will be at the service, where the main eulogy will be delivered by Chancellor Gordon Brown.
Foreign Secretary Jack Straw is breaking off from his holiday in Boston in the US to attend the funeral. The funeral will also bring together a galaxy of political figures.
Former Labour leaders Neil Kinnock and Michael Foot are expected to be there. Transport and Scottish Secretary Alistair Darling, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, Work and Pensions Secretary David Blunkett, Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain, constitutional affairs minister Harriet Harman and Defence Secretary John Reid will be there. Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is on holiday, will not be there, a decision which has been publicly criticised by Channel 4 racing pundit John McCririck, who will be making a contribution at the service as a close friend of Mr Cook.
http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-13408973,00.htmlRIP Robin Cook
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