better together

Gordon Aikman (2 April 1985-1 February 2017)

He wanted his legacy to be change for other motor neurone sufferers – an obituary of Gordon Aikman

First published on LabourList

Gordon Aikman was propelled into the media when he was tragically diagnosed with motor neurone disease at the age of 29 during the Scottish independence referendum. Gordon served as the ‘No’ campaign’s director of research when his hands started to feel numb and he – reluctantly – went to the doctors. What started as ‘struggle with tying shoelaces and buttoning shirts’ led to some life changing decisions. ‘Quitting [Better Together] was never an option’ he told the Scotsman in June 2014. He did, however, have to cut of out commute from Edinburgh to Glasgow and work remotely. He powered through and was part of the team that held the United Kingdom together. In the same piece he warned that he would most likely being in a wheelchair by Christmas and he warned his friends of the steep decline that could follow. He defied the timing suggested by his doctors time and again. Sadly, on Wednesday Gordon lost his battle with MND and leaves behind a massive hole in so many people’s lives. (more…)

‘It’s restored my faith in politics’

First published in Progress magazine

Gordon Aikman wants nothing left unsaid | Richard Angell and Adam Harrison

Gordon Aikman has been busy of late. The former Labour party staffer-turned-director of research for the unionist referendum campaign Better Together has met Hillary Clinton, been in and out of No 10, received wide coverage in national newspapers and, most recently, his partner, Joe, proposed after a day visiting the White House and the Oval Office.

In the final weeks of the independence referendum campaign Aikman found out he had motor neurone disease. The condition was recently propelled into the news thanks to the Oscar-winning film The Theory of Everything. Unlike Stephen Hawking, Aikman’s strain of the disease means he has just months to live. ‘I think we could all learn from Philip Gould [the New Labour pollster] and others about making the most of every day. Life is finite.’ ‘With the progressive nature of MND, I know that today is my healthiest day; I am only going to get worse. I’ve been living life and enjoying life as much as I can.’ (more…)

‘What could actually get worse?’

First published on Progressonline

Labour’s lead role in the Better Together campaign represents a huge, yet untapped, opportunity for our party. People previously uninterested in politics, or whose primary attachment was to another party, turned out to campaign, wearing our stickers and T-shirts. One GP I met when canvassing was wearing a Labour ‘No’ campaign T-shirt. I asked if he was a member. ‘No, to be honest I move between Labour and the Tories but I wanted to help. Now I have met the new candidate I am seriously considering joining Labour,’ came the reply. (more…)