Remembering Alistair

Some favourite images of the the great man.

Yesterday was such an awful day. I spent most of it on the telephone with members of the 2014 Better Together team in tears, laughing as we remembered Alistair and then crying again. Together we issued this statement:

We are devasted by the news of Alistair’s death.

Political campaigns are times of enormous stress. The heated environment can forge close bonds. Alistair though was more than just a comrade-in-arms, he was truly loved by the whole team.

He was calm, wise and, perhaps surprisingly for someone with such a sober public image, incredibly funny and warm. He was the tall tree under which we all sheltered in an often-turbulent campaign. We knew as a team we were protected by him, and we felt such loyalty towards him in return.

As Chancellor in an unprecedented crisis and as the leader of the longest and arguably most important political campaign in UK history, he faced extraordinary challenges and met them with a calmness, integrity and seriousness that was extraordinary to witness. 

Our campaign strategy was based on the knowledge that we would be led by someone who personified the seriousness of the choice people faced.

In an age when politics could seem so small and petty, he was a giant.

Today’s news hits us so hard because we also knew him as a proud father and as one half of the inseparable Maggie and Alistair team. All our love is with them, and we hope the enormous legacy he leaves is some comfort.

Working with the team, I have written a longer tribute which will be published over the weekend. In the meantime, I wanted to share some favourite behind-the-scenes photos of Alistair on the campaign.

The day of the Independence White Paper. Alistair is working on his response.

Channelling his righteous anger in response to the White Paper.

One of his favourite days on the campaign: the time he got to steer a big boat around Loch Lomond.

Backstage with his friend JK Rowling as Eddie Izzard does a gig for the campaign.

Calling voters with Anas Sarwar as we launched our online phone bank.

Doing the Ice Bucket Challenge - young campaign staff enjoying it a little too much!

Allowing himself a smile, back in HQ, after besting Alex Salmond in the STV debate.

Alistair and Gordon Brown do media interviews after the short campaign launch in Glasgow.

The Clackmannanshire result comes in in the Marriot in Glasgow as the reception downstairs turned into a victory party.

Working on his victory speech late on the 18th of September, 2014.