Holyrood to honour SNP MSP Christina McKelvie following death at 57

Holyrood is set to formally express its “deep sadness” at the death of SNP MSP Christina McKelvie and recognise her “significant and widely appreciated contribution” to Scottish politics and public life in the Scottish Parliament chambers on Wednesday afternoon.

Long-standing MSP Christina McKelvie died at the age of 57 last Thursday at Glasgow Royal Infirmary after a lengthy battle with secondary breast cancer.

The MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse served in the Scottish Parliament since 2007 and became the Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy last year.

In the wake of her death, hundreds of tributes poured in and FMQs was a sombre affair with many MSPs from across all parties praising her example of “kindness and compassion” both in politics and in life.

First Minister John Swinney has brought a motion of condolence to formally honour her life and death. It is supported by members of all Scottish political parties, including the Greens, Lib-Dems, Conservatives, Alba, and Labour.

McKelvie’s partner, deputy SNP leader Keith Brown, is expected to close the motion in Parliament at 2pm.

Brown previously said McKelvie loved her job and party and was always a “champion for the people of Scotland and an advocate for social justice and for Scotland to be an independent nation in Europe”.

He added: “To us, she was our beloved mum, partner and gran to Maeve and Leo.”

Brown said: “She was always hard working and enthusiastic and lit up every room she was in with her positivity and bright smile. She was always proud of her working-class roots in Easterhouse and often said she could not have dreamt of becoming a government minister for the Scottish Government.”

McKelvie was an advocate for people living with Motor Neurone Disease and sponsored the first Wear It Pink campaign at the Scottish Parliament in support of Breast Cancer Now – many years before her own diagnosis with breast cancer.

As a Parliamentarian, she was the convener of two Committees – European and External Relations and then the Equalities Committee which added Human Rights to its title and remit under her convenership.

She also championed policy and legislation through promoting ‘Clare’s Law’ – to allow the disclosure of previous violent and abusive behaviour to those at risk.

As a minister, she launched the world’s first strategy to tackle social isolation and loneliness as a health issue, tackled the stigma surrounding menopause, and introduced legislation banning female genital mutilation.

As a constituency MSP, McKelvie worked hard to support her constituents and many local groups and absolutely loved every part of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse.

“We have lost our much loved Christina and know she will be very much missed by all our family and also her many, many friends, staff and constituents,” Brown said.

The motion of condolence for McKelvie will begin at Holyrood from 2pm.