Robin Cook

Robin Cook was the cerebral engine of New Labour, a man whose formidable intellect and command of detail could dominate any parliamentary debate. Elected to Parliament in 1974, he built a reputation as a fiercely effective opposition critic before becoming Tony Blair's first Foreign Secretary in 1997. In that role, he pushed an 'ethical dimension' to foreign policy and helped negotiate the Good Friday Agreement. But history remembers him most for a moment of profound conviction. In 2003, deeply opposed to the invasion of Iraq on the grounds that the intelligence did not justify war, he resigned from the Cabinet. His resignation speech, delivered without notes, was a masterclass in parliamentary oratory and moral clarity, a stunning rebuke that resonated far beyond Westminster. He returned to the backbenches, a respected and independent voice until his sudden death, leaving behind a legacy that champions the power of argument and the duty to follow one's conscience.