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Former Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell dies

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Former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell has died aged 84.
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Former Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell dies aged 84

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26 September 2025

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Catherine LystBBC Scotland

imageGetty Images Sir Menzies Campbell who has greay hair and glasses. He is wearing a dark suit and tie with a white shirt. He is standing in front of a blurred Houses of ParliamentGetty Images

Former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell has died at the age of 84.

Sir Menzies, or Ming as he was widely known, led the Liberal Democrats from 2006 to 2007 and was the MP for North East Fife at Westminster for 28 years.

In his first career as a sprinter, he held the UK 100m record from 1967 to 1974 and ran in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics – being dubbed The Flying Scotsman.

Lib Dem leader Ed Davey described Sir Menzies as “a dedicated public servant and a true Liberal giant”.

He said: “His principled leadership opposing the Iraq War was a mark of his morality, courage and wisdom.

“But more than that, he was an incredibly warm and caring friend and colleague. We will miss him terribly.”

Sir Menzies died peacefully in London following a period of respite care. His grandson was with him.

His family said one of his final days was spent watching the Liberal Democrats Party Conference, and enjoying watching video messages from political friends.

Sir Menzies first stood as a candidate for the Liberal Democrats in 1976, but did not win his constituency for 11 years.

He made his name as the party’s foreign affairs spokesman, a position he held for 14 years and was a renowned critic of the Iraq war.

He became a member of the House of Lords in 2015. His official title was Baron Campbell of Pittenweem.

First Minister John Swinney said: “I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Lord Campbell – one of the most distinguished and well-liked political figures of his generation.

“I first got to know him well as a newly-elected MP where he welcomed me and helped me adapt to life in House of Commons. Over the years since, we often worked together on the many issues on which we agreed.”

He said Sir Menzies was “a passionate believer in a better Scotland” but also a strong internationalist – keen to build consensus and find common ground.

“Those entering public service today could learn much from his style – always forthright in speaking up for what he believed in, but never anything other than respectful, courteous and polite to his political opponents,” Swinney said.

“On behalf of the Scottish government I offer my condolences to Lord Campbell’s family. My thoughts today are with them, his Liberal Democrat colleagues and his many friends across the political spectrum and beyond.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said Sir Menzies was one of the “most respected politicians of his generation”.

He said: “The first political thing I ever did was to deliver leaflets for Ming on the morning of his first election to Parliament in 1987.

“He was my MP, he was my mentor and he was my friend. From the Olympic track to the benches of Westminster, his contribution to public life will long be remembered.”

imageGetty Images

Wendy Chamberlain, current MP for North East Fife, said Sir Menzies “remained a significant figure” in the area.

She added: “His contributions to our communities, to the University of St Andrews, as well as to Scotland and the UK were immeasurable.

“Although he found the passing of his beloved Elspeth difficult, rather than retreat, until the last weeks of his life, he was still travelling to London to contribute in the House of Lords.”

Born Walter Menzies Campbell on 22 May 1941, Sir Menzies was brought up in a Glasgow tenement.

He was educated at Hillhead High School and went on to the University of Glasgow, where he was a contemporary of both John Smith and Donald Dewar studying Law and debating in the union.

He also attended Stanford University in California during the Vietnam War and later became an advocate.

Sir Menzies was called to the Scottish bar in 1968 and made a QC (latterly KC) in 1982. The law gave him a lucrative career and he continued to practise throughout his time in politics.

His wife of more than 50 years, Elspeth, died in June 2023 – he described her as his “constant political companion, always my encouragement and forever my first line of defence”.

imageGlenn Campbell box

Menzies Campbell’s contribution to our politics was far greater than his short spell as party leader suggests.

His was an extremely well informed voice on defence and foreign affairs which was central to the public debate during and after the Iraq war.

He and his late wife Elspeth were the best of political company with a great deal of insight into the Westminster issues and characters of the day.

In many ways Elspeth was more ambitious for her husband than he was for himself. His period as party leader was not a happy one.

He was on the receiving end of a persistent ageism – caricatured as a grandfatherly figure with his best days behind him when compared with rival leaders like Tony Blair and David Cameron.

When appearing on TV for interview he always insisted on wearing a tie because he felt it was what his constituents would expect.

But I knew he’d given in to modernising advisers who wrongly thought they could reinvent his image when one Sunday morning he appeared in our studio in an open-necked shirt. It was not long before he resigned.

It was his wisdom, experience and courtesy that were his greatest strengths and these were undervalued qualities during his time at the top.

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Dublin woman who rescued dog from near M50 raises hundreds for DSCPA

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26 September 2025

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A Dublin woman has raised hundreds of euro for DSCPA after rescuing a dog from near a motorway.

Chloe O’Loughlin was driving late one night when she had to swerve her car to avoid hitting the pooch. Chloe said the dog, named Diesel, was “very close to being killed”.

The Dublin woman had raised over €800 on GoFundMe for the DSPCA following the rescue. She said on the fundraising page: “Diesel was found late one night after running out in front of my car near a motorway. He was very close to being killed, and I had to swerve my car to avoid hurting him.

“He spent the night with us in a bad state. He was petrified of people, physical touch and didn’t know what love was. We handed him up to the DSPCA, who immediately placed him in foster care and gave him emergency medical care.

“Diesel was taken care of by the DSPCA for 10 days before he was ready to find a home. We became so attached to Diesel over this time; we knew we had to adopt him.

Diesel
Diesel
(Image: GoFundMe)

“I hope to raise money for the DSPCA so they can continue their work in helping rehabilitate dogs like our Diesel. Every dog and animal deserves to be loved and find their forever home.”

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California wildfire report points to lack of resources and outdated policies

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26 September 2025

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By&nbspEuronews&nbspwith&nbspAP

Published on 26/09/2025 – 12:36 GMT+2
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12:52


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A lack of resources and outdated policies for sending emergency alerts led to delayed evacuation warnings during deadly Los Angeles-area wildfires in January, according to an outside review.

The Independent After-Action Report produced by the consulting firm McChrystal Group was commissioned by Los Angeles County supervisors just weeks after the Eaton and Palisades fires killed more than 30 people and destroyed thousands of homes in and around Pacific Palisades and Altadena.

The report released Thursday says a series of weaknesses, including “outdated policies, inconsistent practices and communications vulnerabilities,” hampered the county’s response.

Interviews with survivors and an analysis of available data found that evacuation orders for some neighbourhoods of Altadena, where the Eaton Fire swept through, came long after houses burned down.

Critical staffing shortages and slow alerts

The report cites critical staffing shortages, including a high number of sheriff’s deputy vacancies and an under-resourced Office of Emergency Management.

In addition, first responders and incident commanders were unable to consistently share information due to unreliable cellular connectivity, inconsistent field reporting methods, and the use of various unconnected communication platforms.

“While frontline responders acted decisively and, in many cases, heroically, in the face of extraordinary conditions, the events underscored the need for clearer policies, stronger training, integrated tools, and improved public communication,” the report says.

It is not intended to investigate or assess blame, county officials said in a news release.

The review also found that the process to communicate an evacuation decision to the public was slow, convoluted and involved multiple leadership roles across county-level departments.

In the case of the Palisades Fire, the Los Angeles County Fire Department and Sheriff’s Department identified areas that required evacuation. They then communicated those areas to a member of the County’s Office of Emergency Management at the Incident Command centre. This person then made a phone call or sent a text message to another OEM staffer located in the Emergency Operations Centre, who then updated the system put in place by the third-party vendor and triggered an alert to the public.

During the January inferno, according to the report, this process took between 20 and 30 minutes. That’s an improvement over the old system that took between 30 and 60 minutes for the public to receive notice of an evacuation, the report said.

Still, many of the county’s methods to alert the public require opting in.

Some of the evacuation alerts required residents to click a separate link to get complete information, hindering messaging. The communication system used for alerts did not provide complete information about the fire’s progression. Power outages and cell tower issues further hindered evacuation notices and the fire was moving too fast to keep up, the report found.

Before the fire, the county sent out a handful of warnings about the incoming Santa Ana wind event and amplified National Weather Service messaging on social media and in news releases, but there was no official, stand-alone preparedness messaging provided by the county.

What went right

The authors praised the heroism of first responders, including sheriff’s deputies and county firefighters, who evacuated senior care facilities, led public transit bus drivers through impacted neighbourhoods and rescued people from burning homes.

“This heroic response was driven by urgency and their commitment to save lives, but it also added additional complexity to their responsibilities as they worked to maintain broader operational oversight in the field,” the authors wrote.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to review the 133-page report when it meets next Tuesday.

The causes of the two fires are still under investigation.

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