'Sparkled and she shined': SNP's Keith Brown's emotional tribute to partner Christina McKelvie

The partner of Christina McKelvie has paid an emotional tribute to the SNP minister after she died from breast cancer, saying she “sparkled and she shined”.

Keith Brown, the depute leader of the SNP, fought back tears as he described her as a “star” who was glamorous, sparkly and fun and “never walked by on the other side”.

Speaking in Holyrood on Wednesday, Mr Brown said: “Apart from my children, Christina McKelvie was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Christina McKelvie | PA

Former first minister Nicola Sturgeon said Ms McKelvie was a “beautiful, funny, wise woman”, adding: “Christina, I loved you, we all loved you, and I am going to miss you so very much.”

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The alcohol and drugs policy minister was on medical leave as she received treatment for secondary breast cancer when she passed away on Thursday at Glasgow Royal Infirmary at the age of 57.

Speaking in Holyrood on Wednesday as he moved a motion of condolence, John Swinney expressed his “thanks for the profound effect on all our lives of my colleague and friend Christina McKelvie”.

The First Minister sent his condolences to Ms McKelvie’s family, who were sitting in the public gallery, and to her partner and fellow SNP MSP, Mr Brown, whom he escorted into the chamber ahead of the debate on the motion.

Mr Swinney reflected on the impact her upbringing in the Easterhouse area of Glasgow had on her political views, including her father’s MND diagnosis and the work done by her mother to care for him, as well as support the family.

“Christina associated a yellow rose with her late mother and you Presiding Officer, myself, my colleagues and many others are wearing the yellow rose today in her honour,” Mr Swinney said.

“For the last week of Christina’s life, her family placed a yellow rose by her side.”

The First Minister also paid tribute to the work of Ms McKelvie in her Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse constituency, where she was instrumental in setting up a voucher scheme with Scottish Power for those struggling to pay for their energy bills, which was subsequently expanded and has since helped 20,000 people.

A fierce advocate for cancer research even before her diagnosis, Ms McKelvie was the driving force for the Wear It Pink campaign at Holyrood, where she would “hunt members down”, forcing them to pose wearing “all sorts of pink paraphernalia”, the SNP leader said.

He described Ms McKelvie as “one of the kindest and the most generous people I have ever met in my life”, adding: “I am so profoundly grateful that my life has been blessed by the friendship and the love of one of Parliament’s finest – Christina McKelvie.”

In an emotional tribute, Ms Sturgeon said Ms McKelvie was “an absolutely incredible friend”. Addressing Mr Brown directly, she said: “Keith, you were her soulmate, and I don’t think you will ever know how much happiness you brought her, and I know she made you deeply happy too.”

Mr Brown said Ms McKelvie was “never on her own” during the last week of her life. “At every point, 24 hours a day, members of her family sat with her, held her hand, told her that she was loved and she was surrounded by love in that last week,” he said.

He said Ms McKelvie “sparkled and she shined”. Before they got together, he said, he thought she was “a stunningly attractive woman, and way, way out of my league”.

He said: “I’ve often thought of Christina as a star. People have talked about how much fun she was. To me, she was glamorous, she was sparkly, she was fun. And, of course, planets revolve around stars. I just don’t know what a planet does when a star has been extinguished.”

Mr Brown added: “She was a credit to her two sons, Lewis and Jack. She took such pride in her grandchildren, Leo and Maeve, and they’ll never be allowed to forget Christina.

“She was a credit to her community, to Easterhouse, to the Scottish Government, to this Parliament and to Scotland. She was more beautiful inside than outside. And apart from my children, Christina McKelvie was the best thing that ever happened to me.”