http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4127654.stm
Thoughts are with his family at this difficult time.
Mary

Heard about it earlier this evening - he was a good man, not afraid to stand up for his beliefs and stick with them under pressure.

More importantly he's been taken too soon and his family, friends and colleagues will be devastated :(  My prayers are with them too Mary.  None of us ever know the minute or the hour.  Teri 

He was a good man, who didn't let politics sway him from his principles.   But what a wonderful way for him to go - walking in the hills that he loved, with his wife and friends - his last sights being the hills all around him.

My condolences go to his wife, and his family.

Margot

Lokis Mum - I couldn't agree more.  What a way to go.  Must have been dreadful for his young wife though.  But one's death should be a selfish thing.  I bet he would have chosen to go in that way.

Shame he didn't stick with his wife ... :(

Although I respected him for sticking to his principles and resigning from the Cabinet over the Iraq War, I held him in contempt for his betrayal of his wife and the mother of his children, by having an affair with his secretary. Now it's she who's getting all the condolences, and the betrayed wife is forgotten.

My sentiments exactly, Jeangenie!!

And mine too :-) :-)

Personally I don't think you have to approve of a person's life choices to be sad that they've gone.  Maybe now is not the time for judging.

No, we'll leave the judgment to God! ;) He at least doesn't think that dying automatically confers sainthood ...

Good idea JG :)
All are saints who die in the Lord :)

Marriages fail, a fact of life these days and I think anyone can be forgiven for that.  However the manner in which he broke it to his wife at the airport on the way to a holiday, after he had assured her the affair had ended, when the press were about to expose him was despicable and to me indicated that he did not have either the judgement or morals to be part of government not to mention the hypocracy of being one of those condemning the conservatives for sleeze just prior to this.

Unfortunately, people with those 'qualities' all too often end up in politics :D

My thoughts are with his sons. He appears to have been a very good father in other respects.

Daisy

The labour party, as an organisation, made an election issue out of this generally, the campaign being decided upon by Blair and Brown and Mandelson and Campbell. But cant say i recall this being a particular issue of Robin Cook's? Unless you have examples otherwise, of course?
And as remember it, the sleeze that the labour party back then were accsuing the tories of was financial. ie, neil hamilton and brown paper envelopes from al fayed. jonathan aitken and the ritz and later prison and jeffrey archer and perjury during business corruption trial.
And having an affair may mean you have bad judgement in your family life - you may even call it immoral - but it doesnt automatically equate you have bad judgement in other areas of your life - business, professional, whatever - and preclude you from doing a good job.
You wouldnt say if a police officer left his wife - or her husband, for that matter - therefore they wouldnt automatically have the good judgement to be a good police officer

My OH says that a person who's willing to lie to the person who's supposed to be most important to him, will have no qualms about lying to strangers - ie us!

That's exactly my feeling JG!!  A politician's personal life is of no interest to me, but if they are prepared to deceive those who were supposedly at one time their nearest and dearest, then why would they feel the need to me truthful to me?! :(
Marriages and relationships go wrong.  I have no problem with that.  But get it sorted and be honest with those around you, behave with honour - I have much more respect for those who are straightforward and not deceitful.

Absolutely!!!

If a politician lies, i would say its because he is a politician, not because he is faithful to his wife or not.
its part of the job decription, after all.
Tony Blair and George Bush are seemingly faithful to there wives, and religious.
Cant think of a bigger pair of liars amongst the political class tho

'Don't be too harsh with the one who sins
Nor pelt him with words or stone
Unless you are sure - yes, doubly sure
That you have no sins of your own'

I don't think that it's being harsh to expect those who we trust to run our country, and ultimately risk our lives my taking us into war, to be honest tyby, is it? :o

I don't think that anyone here has said that they are without sin :D The point being made is that politicians make laws and basically tell people how they should live. They should be perfect individuals (not that such things exist) - but they are often the least perfect of people :D :D

Daisy

Yes Val (and Daisy), I agree - it would be great if we could trust our politicians but, unfortunately, human beings don't come with a guarantee of honesty and integrity, whatever their profession. 

tyby, isn't it a shame that you're right :( ;)
I'm certainly not a perfect human being but I am honest and I do try!

Quite true, tyby! But sadly it appears that some people try harder than others. :(

Some people are just good at hiding what goes on :) JG made a good point - if a man/woman lies to his partner, they can't be trusted in any other area. The reverse is not necessarily true - although probable :)

Daisy

"Let he who is without sin cast the first stone"

"Thou shalt not commit adultery".
Your move! :D

So you are totally without sin then JG :O my quote is from your christian part of the bible & is what christianity is all about Forgiveness isn't it & after all the sainty John Major had a fling & lied whilst Prime Minister about it

>So you are totally without sin then JG

Not sure where you get that idea, MM - it's certainly not something I've ever claimed! :D No, I'm definiely human and fallible - but trying to learn from other people's mistakes, so that I don't repeat them myself. :D Nor did I realise John Major was saintly - I doubt if he'd claim it either. ;) Or David Blunkett!

The OT is just as much part of the Christian bible as the NT, btw.

For the record DB was split up with his ex wife & she was with someone else before his affair & his ex mistress had left her husband(from her own admission)

I cannot understand the public fascination with people's private lives

BTW there is at least  one totally honest politician Dennis Skinner-no affairs-no secret income-an honest man with honest views

As for the OT & christianity an eye for an eye & turning the other cheek Hmmmmm interesting

>As for the OT & christianity an eye for an eye & turning the other cheek Hmmmmm interesting

Many people forget that Jesus was a Jew! ;) :D

whats Christianity got to do with it all?

What a lovely, profound question, clutha ! :)
Christianity is based on repentence, forgiveness and salvation.
Early on in this thread someone brought up Robin Cook's morals and lies and the debate then progressed to the behaviour of politicians generally and the electorate's right (or not) to judge.

...........and TRUTH!!  :)

And honesty! :)

If we repent, we ask for forgiveness for ALL our wrongdoings...... whether it be telling lies, being dishonest, stealing, adultery etc. etc. 

Absolutely - and as he was still married to his second wife, I personally can't see that he'd repented the betrayal of his first - but then, I'm only human, and can only see things from a human angle! ;)

Was he you do surprise me :O I never knew that ;)

I've known people leave a service in disgust when that was pointed out! :(

RIP

I had someone argue the point that he was a Christian :O & it was sacrilegious to say he was Jewish, BTW he is revered by the Jewish faith as a great teacher

LOL! A Christian is a follower of Christ - if he'd followed himself he'd have gone round and round in circles! :D

:D JG