John MacDougall: 1947-2008

John MacDougall, the MP for Glenrothes, has passed away, finally losing his battle with mesothelioma - a form of lung cancer linked to asbestos. No one wins this particular battle and it's a testament to MacDougall's strength that he fought and survived for as long as he did: the Westminster village has been waiting for this for weeks, in a way that reminds me of vultures circling. But he finally couldn't take anymore and he died today in Kirkcaldy.

This does, of course, have lots of implications, but right now the most important one is that a family has lost a husband and father. The others can wait.