Gordon Aikman
| Gordon Aikman | |
|---|---|
| Born |
2 April 1985 Kirkcaldy, Scotland |
| Died | 2 February 2017 (aged 31) |
| Education | Kirkcaldy High School University of Edinburgh |
| Occupation | Political researcher, campaigner |
Gordon Lewis Aikman BEM (2 April 1985 – 2 February 2017) was a British political researcher and campaigner. He was a Director of Research for the Better Together campaign that took place during the Scottish Independence Referendum. During that campaign he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease and went on to campaign to raise awareness of the condition.
Gordon Aikman studied at Kirkcaldy High School where he was head boy. He read Business at the University of Edinburgh. In 2007, he was elected as the sabbatical officer responsible for welfare and student societies in the Edinburgh University Students' Association.
After graduation, he worked at the Scottish Parliament for the Scottish Labour Party. In September 2012, he was appointed as Director of Research for the Better Together campaign in the Scottish Independence Referendum.
In June 2014, Aikman was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND), also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a degenerative neurological condition, having initially complained of a persistent numbness in his fingers. Having received this diagnosis, he quickly launched a "Five-Point Fightback" campaign calling for increased research funding to help find a cure for MND.
His campaign was launched soon after his diagnosis and has drawn support from across the UK political spectrum.
After meeting Aikman in November 2014, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced that there would be a review of motor neurone disease care in Scotland. Sturgeon later announced she was honouring her promise to Aikman and that the NHS in Scotland would begin to fund specialist nursing, and double the number of MND specialist nurses.
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