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Jim Wallace, Former Deputy First Minister of Scotland, Dies at 71

lite News Desk 2 min read

At a glance

  • Jim Wallace died on 29 January 2026 in Edinburgh at age 71
  • He passed away due to complications after scheduled surgery
  • Wallace served as Scotland’s first Deputy First Minister from 1999 to 2005

Jim Wallace, Baron Wallace of Tankerness, died in Edinburgh on 29 January 2026 at the age of 71 following complications from a planned major surgical procedure at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

Wallace held multiple senior roles in Scottish public life, including serving as the first Deputy First Minister of Scotland from 1999 to 2005 under the Scottish Executive. He was also leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats for over a decade, from 1992 to 2005.

During his time in government, Wallace acted as First Minister on three occasions. These included periods during Donald Dewar’s illness and after Dewar’s death in 2000, as well as following Henry McLeish’s resignation in 2001.

Wallace represented Orkney and Shetland as a Member of Parliament from 1983 to 2001, and later served as a Member of the Scottish Parliament for Orkney between 1999 and 2007.

What the numbers show

  • Wallace was born in 1954 and died in 2026 at age 71
  • He served as Deputy First Minister for six years, from 1999 to 2005
  • He was leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats for 13 years, from 1992 to 2005
  • He entered the House of Lords in 2007 and served as Advocate General for Scotland from 2010 to 2015

After his parliamentary career, Wallace was appointed as a life peer in the House of Lords in 2007. He later served as Advocate General for Scotland from 2010 to 2015, providing legal advice to the UK government on Scottish matters.

Wallace also held the role of Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland from 2021 to 2022, reflecting his involvement in religious as well as political spheres.

Throughout his career, Wallace was involved in both national and regional representation, holding seats in both the UK Parliament and the Scottish Parliament for the Orkney and Shetland area.

His death followed a scheduled major surgical procedure, after which he experienced complications that led to his passing at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

* This article is based on publicly available information at the time of writing.

Sources and further reading

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