| Mr MacDougall, who was 60 and is survived by his wife Cathy, son Scott, daughter Julie and mother Barbara, was laid to rest in the town’s cemetery following a service at a packed Erskine Church conducted by the Rev. John Allan.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who was a close friend, was among a number of high-profile politicians who paid their last respects and he delivered the eulogy.
Also in attendance were Des Browne, the Secretary of State for Defence and Scotland, International Develop-ment Secretary Douglas Alexander and former Scottish Secretary John Reid, MPs, MSPs, Fife councillors, relatives and friends.
And there were many ordinary citizens from Burntisland, where Mr MacDougall lived for most of his life and where his political career started when he was elected councillor for the town in 1981, who simply came along to say goodbye to the man who did so much for the town and Fife.
Mr Brown described him as “a friend, a people’s champion and a true servant of the people” and told his fellow mourners they had lost a tireless fighter for social justice, an endlessly loyal champion of decent values and a great family man who had showed the greatest of courage, both politically and in facing his illness.
He continued, “John MacDougall was a man who spoke up for Fife, lived a life of public service in Fife and was repeatedly elected and re-elected to represent Fife.
“In his life and service, he represented all that was best in Fife and no-one I have known has consistently done so much in all his different jobs for Fife and its people.
“I had the privilege of knowing John over the years and in all the roles he undertook in public service and in campaign after campaign he never grew apart from the industries he worked in and the people he represented.”
The Prime Minister paid tribute to Mr MacDougall’s work during many of those campaigns, such as helping miners’ families during the strike in 1984, protecting free bus travel for pensioners, fighting unemployment and working to bring new jobs to Fife.
Scott Brady, who was Parliamentary researcher for the MP, spoke about his friend and thanked all those who had looked after him during his long illness, especially the staff at ward 17 at Kirkcaldy’s Victoria Hospital.
Mr Brady said Mr MacDougall had done much to improve the quality of life of the people of Burntisland over the years. “He made a huge difference to everyone in the town and that’s how we remember him today,” he added. |
