LONDON (Reuters) - Former Foreign Secretary Robin Cook died on Saturday after collapsing while walking on a mountain in northern Scotland, police said. He was 59.

Cook served as foreign secretary from 1997 to 2001 and maintained a high public profile as a fierce critic of Prime Minister Tony Blair's decision to go to war in Iraq.

He resigned as Leader of the House of Commons in 2003 over the government's decision to back the U.S.-led war.

Cook was walking with his wife on Saturday on Ben Stack mountain when he collapsed, police said.

"Mr Cook apparently took ill while walking with his wife Gaynor on Ben Stack and was removed by Stornoway coast guard helicopter to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness," a police statement said.

He died in hospital on Saturday evening, the police statement said.

Eeee good grief what a shock that is. It is always a shock when they don't appear very old and Robin Cook never struck me as old!!

Poor Mrs Cook, what a sad tale!!:sad:

59 is not very old at all. RIP.

Is that the first or the second Mrs Cook then, Flip?

I thought he was alot older - he's always looked mid-fifties to me :ninja:

Is that the first or the second Mrs Cook then, Flip?



Fee do you know I had forgotten all about that affair business - he did go off with his secretary didn't he and he married her - it must be the second Mrs Cook!! Although I can't swear on it.

I remember when I was in London with Mr B about 8 years ago, we had just been to see Miss Saigon and went for across the road to an Indian Restaurant. There was a guy on his own across from us eating dinner and at the top of the restaurant were Robin and Gaynor, this guy on his own was Robin's bodyguard! I don't know if he was married to Gaynor at the time but I do remember Margaret Cook played the part of the woman scorned! Silly woman!

Also Robin Cook used to drink in a pub just a long from the road from us.

I wasn't a fan of his but I respected and admired him when he stepped down from politics over the Iraq war. He believed in his principles and sacrificed a lot for them.

God Bless.

It's always sad when someone dies.

and it's always stomach churning when his 'colleagues' come on tv in sacchraine tones to express their deep sorrow, when you know they had personally attacked them in the past!

Robin Cook was (I beleive) basically a good man and someone that I thoguht would have taken over the leadership of the labour party after John Smith died. OK I know he had is human weaknesses (ie. dumping the wife for the secretary, I suppose) but as a politician he was someone who was prepared to stand up and be counted.

Sad news, although I try to avoid politics like the plague.
Despite his faults, he had the courage of his convictions over his affair, and over Iraq, which is rare in politics, and in most other spheres I think.

RIP Robin.

Eeee good grief what a shock that is. It is always a shock when they don't appear very old and Robin Cook never struck me as old!!


Ugly but not old..... :bag:

I didn't know he'd died until I read this.....which proves my point that you don't have to watch or read the news every day to know what's going on in the world.....although it wasn't until I saw his funeral on the news that I learned of Ronald Regans death... :blush:

Ugly but not old..... :bag:




a tad unfair Coastie! he's a politician not a pop idol! Stop being so shallow woman!