BRITAIN: Tributes flooded in from around the political world yesterday to former British foreign secretary Robin Cook who died on Saturday after collapsing on a Scottish mountainside.
Mr Cook, who was 59, quit the government in 2003 in protest over the Iraq war.
Politicians from all parties praised him as one of the outstanding political debaters of his era. He drew widespread praise for an eloquent resignation speech when he quit the government.
His successor as foreign secretary, Jack Straw, called Mr Cook "the greatest parliamentarian of his generation".
Prime minister Tony Blair warmly praised Mr Cook as an intellectual and political heavyweight despite their clash over the decision to back the United States in Iraq in 2003.
"This news will be received with immense sadness, not just in Britain but in many parts of the world," Mr Blair said.
"Robin was an outstanding, extraordinary talent - brilliant, incisive in debate, of incredible skill and persuasive power."
Conservative leader Michael Howard called his contribution to British politics "immense".
"He was a politician of principle who fought hard for the things he believed in. He will be greatly missed," he said.
Menzies Campbell, the deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, added: "His intellectual rigour and his lancing wit meant he was an opponent that one had to respect." Mr Cook's former wife Margaret paid tribute to him as an "exemplary" father and a "heavyweight" politician. Their two grown-up sons, Peter and Christopher, were "gutted" by his death and were travelling to Scotland from their homes in Bristol and London, she said.
Mr Cook served as foreign secretary from 1997 to 2001 and then became leader of the House of Commons - the government's top representative in parliament. He served in that post until 2003.
Mr Cook collapsed after suffering an apparent heart attack and fell on Saturday while walking with his wife Gaynor on Ben Stack mountain in northwest Scotland, police said.
A rescue helicopter took him to hospital in the town of Inverness, where he was pronounced dead.
Coastguard George Chrossan said Mr Cook fell about 2.43m (8ft) down a ridge when he collapsed on to rocky terrain.
Mr Cook, a Scot, took over the Foreign Office after Labour's landslide election, pledging a new "ethical dimension" to foreign policy.
But his first year in office was marked by personal embarrassment and questions over his judgment.
He abruptly ended his 28-year marriage to Margaret when a newspaper threatened to reveal he was having an affair with his secretary Gaynor Regan, whom he later married.
He survived the scandal to play a prominent role in Nato's 1999 campaign to force Serbian troops out of Kosovo. He later listed "defending Kosovo" as one of his greatest achievements.
British Muslim leaders praised Mr Cook's opposition to the Iraq war. Human rights activists lauded his commitment to international justice and control of the arms trade.
Although his switch to become leader of the House of Commons was a demotion, he took on the task with vigour and sought to modernise centuries-old traditions in parliament.
He also seemed to relish life on the back benches after quitting the cabinet. He published a highly acclaimed book on his years in government and wrote frequent newspaper columns.
"He was a principled foreign secretary, he was a reforming leader of the house and even when he resigned regretfully from the government he did so on principle, he did it with style and elegance," deputy prime minister John Prescott said.
"Robin's a great loss not only to his family but indeed to the Labour Party and to politics at home and abroad."
Commentators had speculated that chancellor Gordon Brown, who is widely expected to succeed Mr Blair in the coming years, would recall Mr Cook to the government.
In his free time, Mr Cook was fanatical about horse racing and wrote newspaper articles about the sport. When asked which book he would take with him if he were banished to a desert island, he chose the National Hunt Form Book, a guide to horse racing in Britain. The son of a chemistry teacher, he studied English at Edinburgh University, where he began a career in Labour politics. He was first elected to parliament in 1974. - (Reuters)
Higgins praises man of 'great principle'
The late Robin Cook was a man of great character and vision, the Labour Party said yesterday. Michael D Higgins said he was a huge loss to his party, and the wider international Labour movement.
Mr Cook spoke at the Labour Party's annual conference in Dublin in April 2004. "Robin Cook was able and effective as an MP and minister and also a politician of great principle with a real vision of society and the world." He said Mr Cook had"displayed exceptional strength of character" when he resigned as a minister over his opposition to the war in Iraq. - (PA)