The lawyer-turned-politician served as Scotland’s first-ever deputy first minister from 1999 to 2005, and as Advocate General for Scotland from 2010 to 2015.

He led the Scottish Liberal Democrats from 1992 to 2005 and served as the leader of the Lib Dems in the House of Lords from 2013 to 2016.

A graduate of the University of Cambridge and the University of Edinburgh, he previously practised as an advocate in Edinburgh, specialising in civil law.

More recently, he was Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 2021/22.

Paying tribute to his former deputy, Lord Jack McConnell said: “Jim Wallace was the best of men. 

“His contribution to securing a Scottish Parliament, being the best deputy to three first ministers that any of us could have hoped for, and a fantastic cabinet minister too, will never be matched. 

“Honest, reliable and filled with compassion. 

“What a loss he is – but what a difference he made. 

“I will miss him dearly.”