Ex-Scottish Deputy First Minister Lord Wallace has died as a result of complications following surgery.

Lord Wallace, who served as leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats between 1992 and 2005, was undergoing a procedure at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh on Thursday.

Rosie Wallace, who tied the knot with Jim in 1983, confirmed his death in a statement.

She said: “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.”

Lord Wallace was first elected as the MP for Orkney & Shetland in 1983, later entering the Scottish Parliament as an MSP for Orkney in 1999.

He helped prop up Donald Dewar’s Government in Holyrood following the 1999 Scottish Parliament Election.

Lord Wallace filled in as First Minister on several occasions, including after the death of Mr Dewar and the resignation of Henry McLeish.

The veteran MSP left Holyrood in 2007, later being appointed to the House of Lords.

Lord Wallace sat on Sir Kenneth Calman’s commission on devolution, which recommended extending Holyrood’s powers.

He also continued campaigning for the Liberal Democrats throughout his life, appearing alongside his successor Alex Cole-Hamilton as recently as 2024.

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