The former leader of the Liberal Democrats, Menzies “Ming” Campbell, Lord Campbell of Pittenweem, has died in London aged 84.

He was educated in Glasgow where he studied law alongside John Smith and Donald Dewar. As a student he became an athlete and ran the 200m for Great Britain in 1964 at the Tokyo Olympics, becoming captan of the UK Athletics Team from 1965-66. He held the British record for the 100 metres from 1967 until 1974.

Ming Campbell was called to the bar in 1968, and “took silk” in 1982. He was elected in 1987 to the North East Fife constituency with a majority of 1,447 and later became Chairman of the Scottish Liberal Party in 1975.

In Parliament he served as a defence and foreign affairs spokesman, becoming Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in

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