Church leaders pay tribute to Donald Dewar

Cardinal Thomas Winning, leader of the Catholic Church in Scotland, praised Donald Dewar, who died last week. He said: "With the death of Donald Dewar, Scotland has lost its most outstanding politician. He never lost touch with the ideal which brought him to politics; the ideal of service to the community. "In political life and in the important positions he held, Donald Dewar was a man of principle and transparent honesty. With his passing, Scotland is the poorer." The Right Reverend Andrew McLellan, moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, who spent many hours with Mr Dewar as he lay sick in hospital, said he had visited him as a friend but also in an official capacity in recognition of the "official relationship" between the Kirk and the Scottish Executive. Praising Mr Dewar's achievements, he said he had "delivered the Scottish Parliament, where others had merely talked about doing so." He said: "That's a huge achievement but that's by no means his only political achievement because he has always stood for what is now called social inclusion. "He always stood for justice for the weak and the poor and tried to be a voice for those who have no voice. Under any political arrangement that is quite vital. Scotland is the better for Donald Dewar's principles in these matters over many years."