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Politics : Sioux Nation -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: jackielalanne who wrote (32508)	8/9/2005 6:16:43 PM
From: SiouxPal	Respond to of 361152

Blair Accused of Cook Funeral 'Snub' Tony Blair today came under fierce attack from a close friend of Robin Cook for not planning to attend the funeral of the former Foreign Secretary. Channel 4 racing pundit John McCririck accused the Prime Minister of snubbing the family and the memory of Mr Cook. Mr McCririck, a friend of Mr Cook for 20 years, will be among those speaking at the funeral service, which is expected to take place on Friday at Edinburgh's St Giles Cathedral. Details have not yet been officially confirmed but Chancellor Gordon Brown is expected to read the main eulogy, and former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright is also expected to deliver a contribution. Downing Street has said Mr Blair is unlikely to break off from his holiday for the funeral and his deputy, John Prescott, is likely to attend instead. Mr Blair, however, may attend a memorial service later in the year. But Mr McCririck said today: "It is contemptible that the Prime Minister cannot be bothered to sacrifice just 24 hours from his holiday to pay his, and the nation's, tribute to Robin. "It is a deliberate, selfish snub to the family, millions of New Labour supporters, and the memory of a man who did so much to bring about his premiership." The pundit told The Scottish Press Association: "Robin's criticism of Government policy was dignified, and never became personal or vindictive. "If Margaret Thatcher can bring herself to attend Ted Heath's service, then surely Mr Blair ought, at least publicly, to show respect and gratitude to Robin." Keen horseracing fan Mr Cook, 59, collapsed while walking in the Highlands on Saturday and was pronounced dead after being airlifted to hospital. A post-mortem examination began yesterday to establish whether the Livingston MP had died from an illness or injuries sustained in the fall. It was taking place at Inverness's Raigmore Hospital, where Mr Cook's widow, Gaynor, 48, went to formally identify her husband's body. The examination is expected to be completed today. Mr Cook fell 8ft down a ridge near the summit of the 2,365ft Ben Stack in Sutherland on Saturday afternoon. His wife told rescuers he had not breathed for 40 minutes as she and a passing walker struggled to revive him. While they waited for help, Mrs Cook and the walker struggled desperately to revive her husband, with guidance from medical experts by mobile phone. After Mr Cook had been airlifted to Raigmore Hospital, he was declared dead - 90 minutes after collapsing. Mrs Cook was left to make her way down the mountain by foot. Yesterday, flags flew at half-mast in Livingston, where Mr Cook had been MP since 1983, and condolence books were opened in West Lothian Council buildings. In Edinburgh, where he was a councilor and then an MP, civic leaders plan to consult the family on a suitable tribute - possibly a charity trust. Mr Cook's death means a by-election in Livingston, which he held with a 13,097 majority in May. Mr Blair has paid tribute to Mr Cook, praising him as an "outstanding, extraordinary talent", while his successor as Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, hailed him as "the greatest parliamentarian of his generation". Former Labour leader Neil Kinnock predicted that, had he lived, Mr Cook would have returned to the party's front bench, which he quit in 2003 in protest at the Iraq War. United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan described the former Foreign Secretary as a "partner on a wide range of issues". Downing Street declined to comment on Mr McCririck's criticism.