Farewell to the High Heid Yin

I was very sad to wake up this morning to learn that my old mate John Laird had passed away.

John established Northern Ireland's longest established public relations agency 42 years ago, and it's still going strong. 

I first got to know him after he was elevated to the House of Lords as Baron Laird of Artigarvan in the County of Tyrone in July 1999.   It was not a surprise as it had been my task to deliver nomination papers, signed by David Trimble, to the Government Chief Whip's office several months before.

John was proud crusader for the Ulster-Scots language and culture and, after the Good Friday Agreement, a tireless Chair (aka High Heid Yin) of the newly-created Ulster-Scots Agency.

What I'll remember most fondly about John was his playfulness and wicked sense of humour. I recall one occasion when a fellow Ulster Unionist peer had a cold sore and bought some ointment to deal with the affliction.  The problem was that John's noble friend kept missing the important area of his face when trying to apply the cure.  So John volunteered to guide his colleague's forefinger toward his face to ensure he hit the target.

I was in a room with them when this process was being gone through for about the third time that day, and John was milking the moment for all he was worth.

He winked at me and said to his patent: "I hope you never need a suppository!"

John presented me with a House of Lords claret decanter when I left my job in Westminster in 2003 and I've cherished it ever since

It is often said when someone passes on that "we'll never see his like again."  In John Laird's case, it is unquestionably true.