Lord Jim Wallace Dies at 71 After Surgery

Lord Jim Wallace, Scotland's first deputy first minister and a towering figure in the nation's devolution era, has died at the age of 71 following complications from surgery.

Wallace passed away on Thursday at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, where he had been undergoing a scheduled major procedure. His death came as an unexpected shock to his family, who described it as sudden despite his continued vitality in public life.

His wife, Rosie Wallace, whom he married in 1983, said in a statement: "The family are very shocked by Jim's death. It was all so sudden. He was still incredibly active in a whole host of areas." She noted that he had been traveling regularly to London to participate in the House of Lords, had sung in the Dunblane Cathedral choir during the festive period, and was eager to spend more time with his grandchildren. "It brings some comfort that he had been surrounded by those he loved most when he died," she added, expressing gratitude that the family had gathered in Scotland over Christmas, including their daughter Clare and her family from New Zealand.

A former lawyer who studied economics and law at Downing College, Cambridge, and later law at the University...