UK mourns Cook

Former British foreign secretary Robin Cook, who quit government over the Iraq war, was mourned as "the most accomplished parliamentarian of his generation" at a funeral service yesterday.

Mr Cook died suddenly on Saturday at the age of 59. "Today we salute him as the most accomplished parliamentarian of his generation, who brought democracy closer to the people," finance minister and fellow Scot Gordon Brown told the congregation, as hundreds gathered outside to pay their respects.

Mr Brown joined Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and Mr Cook's wife Gaynor for the funeral service at St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh.

Prime Minister Tony Blair, on holiday, did not attend. Describing Mr Cook's "forensic skills, irrefutable logic and devastating wit," Mr Brown said his former colleague would be sorely missed and that his passing had left a gap that would never properly be filled.

"The greatest parliamentarian of our time put all his talents and his life at the service of the greatest causes of our time - to right wrongs, to equalise life chances, to advance opportunity," Mr Brown said.

"What grieves us so much today is not only the personal loss we all feel so deeply but the greater loss: that Robin has been taken from us at the height of his powers, with causes still to be advanced."

Mr Cook collapsed on Saturday while walking on in northwest Scotland during a holiday with his wife. A rescue helicopter took him to hospital in Inverness, where he was pronounced dead.

Regarded as one of the outstanding political debaters of his era, Mr Cook served as foreign secretary from 1997 to 2001 and then became leader of the House of Commons - the government's top representative in parliament.

He quit that post in 2003 just before the US-led invasion of Iraq. His calm and forensic resignation speech to a packed Commons is seen as one of the outstanding moments in recent British political history.

Despite their clash over Iraq, Mr Blair has hailed Mr Cook as an intellectual and political heavyweight.

But the prime minister's absence from the funeral caused a moment of controversy when Mr Cook's friend, horse racing pundit John McCirick, criticised Mr Blair of "petty vindictiveness" for not breaking off from his holiday.

"This is a moral failure, opting to continue snorkelling instead of doing his duty," he said, to a round of applause from the public gathered outside.

Several hundred mourners had gathered outside the cathedral and lined the streets to see Mr Cook's coffin, draped in white lilies. They broke out into applause as it was driven away.