Charity campaigner

Born: April 2, 1985;

Died: February 3, 2017

GORDON Aikman, who has died aged 31, was a fundraiser and campaigner for patients with Motor Neurone Disease (MND). He himself was diagnosed with this most cruel of conditions at the age of just 29.

Not long after receiving the devastating news that he had MND, Mr Aikman set up his Gordon’s Fightback campaign, which not only called for funding to find a cure for the disease – the average life expectancy following diagnosis is 14 months - but demanded specialist nursing care for those living with the condition.

READ MORE: Herald View: Gordon Aikman - a life lived in adversity made meaningful and vital

The campaign caught the imagination of the public and has so far raised more than £530,000. A Glasgow Comedy Festival event featuring comedians Frankie Boyle, Stewart Francis and Fred MacAulay in March 2025 raised £25,000 for the cause. Other high-profile supporters of the campaign included Edinburgh-based Harry Potter creator JK Rowling.

But the campaign was never just about money. Before being diagnosed with MND Mr Aikman, worked in the world of politics and his skills in and knowledge of this sphere were invaluable when he set up Gordon’s Fightback and outlined a five-point plan comprised of very practical improvements to the care of MND patients that he and others believed would make a real difference to the quality of life of those living with the disease and their friends, families and carers.

Among the changes he campaigned for were specialist nurses in Scotland paid for by the NHS rather than charitable donations and fast-tracked welfare payments for those diagnosed with the disease.

A skilled and articulate communicator, Mr Aikman used his own position to highlight the plight of all MND patients, often speaking in the media and hosting fundraising events. He also wrote a column outlining the often harrowing realities of the disease in The Times newspaper. He also persuaded political rivals Alistair Darling and Alex Salmond to take part in the Ice Bucket Challenge, raising thousands in the process.

Mr Aikman’s tenacity as a campaigner also paid off in November 2014 when First Minister Nicola Sturgeon agreed to a review of MND care in Scotland. She later announced that the NHS would fund specialist nurses, doubling the number in the process. His achievements were recognised with prizes at the Scottish Politician of the Year awards in 2014 and 2015.

During this time, as his condition deteriorated, Mr Aikman admitted that he was living his life “in fast forward”, constantly aware of the “ticking clock” that was hanging over him.

But that wasn’t to say there weren’t moments of great happiness for the young campaigner – in March 2015 he married his long-term partner Joe Pike, a political journalist and author.

The couple remained remarkably upbeat throughout, supporting each other and spending as much quality time together as possible at their sociable flat in Edinburgh, where they enjoyed hosting friends and family whenever possible.

This more family-centred existence was clearly important to Mr Aikman as the disease took its toll on his body, and he was keen to retain as much independence as possible, even as he lost the use of his hands and had to use a wheelchair.

Speaking to the Herald Magazine in December 2015, he said MND had helped him “refocus on what is really important”. He said: “Being ill can be a full-time job if you let it. You have to be disciplined and make sure you see you friends and family and do the things you want to do. You have to keep control of your life.”

Born in Kirkcaldy on 2 April 1985, Mr Aikman attended Kirkcaldy High School, where he became Head Boy. He studied business at the University of Edinburgh, where he became active in student welfare issues. It was here that he met Mr Pike, and the pair were friends for a number of years before becoming involved romantically.

On graduation Mr Aikman started working for Scottish Labour at the Scottish Parliament, and in September 2012 he was appointed Director of Research for the Better Together campaign, which campaigned for a No vote in the independence referendum.

He was working at full pelt when the devastating diagnosis came, saying he knew something was seriously wrong as the strength seemed to sap from his body. Immediately afterwards the couple went travelling, visiting South Africa, Germany, Ireland and California. It was on a trip to Washington DC, the political capital of the western world, that Mr Pike asked Mr Aikman to marry him. Their wedding was held at Edinburgh’s Assembly Rooms, with Mr Aikman able to fulfil his dream to walk down the aisle.

Speaking in December 2015, Mr Aikman spoke of his confidence that a cure for MND would be found. “I know that one day there will be pills, injections, other types of treatment. I’ll be gone by then but others will benefit.”

Gordon Aikman is survived by his husband, Joe Pike.