David Cairns, 1966-2011

By Tom Harris MP / @TomHarrisMP

David Cairns, Labour MP for Inverclyde, died at 11.00 pm yesterday after a short illness. He was 44 years old.

He leaves behind his partner Dermot, his brother Billy and his father, John.

David was first elected to Parliament at the 2001 general election and served as both Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and Minister of State at the Scotland Office from 2005 until 208.

He was born and raised in Greenock, the town he would later represent in the Commons. He attended Notre Dame High School and later trained as a Roman catholic Priest before he became drawn into Labour politics as director of the Christian Socialist Movement. He then worked for Siobhan McDonagh, MP for Mitcham, and Morden in London, before being selected as Labour’s candidate in Greenock and Inverclyde, as the seat was then known.

Following the 2005 election, he was appointed by Tony Blair to the Scotland Office. When Gordon Brown succeeded Blair in June 2007, David was promoted to Minister of State. In September 2008, however, he resigned after he was identified by the media as a minister who was unhappy with the leadership of then Prime Minister. Told he could remain in post provided he restated publicly his support for Brown’s continuing leadership of the Labour Party, David chose instead to leave office.

David was a gifted and popular MP with a political instinct that was second to none. He was absolutely committed to the Labour movement and to Labour’s electoral success.

As a back bencher he piloted a Private Member’s Bill onto the statute books, protecting shop workers from being forced to work on Sundays against their will. As a minister he brought an unfailing political instinct to the Scotland Office when it needed it most.

And as a member of the Culture Select Committee in the last 12 months – and since before then – he championed Scottish broadcasting and TV production.

He also knew more about David Bowie than David Bowie did; after his principled resignation from the government, I changed the ringtone on my phone so that whenever he called me, “Rebel Rebel” would play.

And although he would strenuously disagree, he performed the worst ever impersonation of Mrs Bridges (out of Upstairs Downstairs) that has ever been attempted.

David was admitted to hospital eight weeks ago with pancreatitis.

David was one of my closest friends, inside or outside politics. He was incredibly clever and funny and loyal. I can’t believe I will never see him again. And I dread how much I’m going to miss him.

This tribute is reproduced here by kind permission of Tom Harris MP. You can read the original on his website here.