Motor neurone disease (MND) campaigner Gordon Aikman has died aged 31.

The former Labour party staffer and director of research for the Better Together campaign died on Friday after a long battle with the condition, his husband confirmed.

He was diagnosed with the terminal illness in 2014, and married ITV political reporter Joe Pike a year later.

Motor neurone disease is a progressive and debilitating disease that attacks the brain and the spinal cord. It leads to weakness and muscle wasting and can affect how patients talk, eat and breathe. There is no cure.

Mr Aikman, from Edinburgh, launched Gordon's Fightback to help those with the disease and the campaign has raised more than £535,000 to fund research into a cure.

The campaigner also successfully lobbied the First Minister to publicly fund and double the number of specialist MND nurses across Scotland.

His husband Joe Pike paid tribute to him in a Twitter post, saying: "My beautiful husband Gordon Aikman has died. We are all heartbroken.

"He was my best friend, my soulmate and the love of my life."

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said: "I am utterly bereft. Although we all knew time was precious, Gordon's death comes as a shock.

"I have lost a best friend and the world has lost a man who made it a better place. I will keep Gordon's husband Joe and all his family in my thoughts and prayers.

"The wedding of Gordon and Joe was one of the happiest days of my life. I will treasure those memories.

"I will miss Gordon's smile, his laugh, his energy, his brilliant dance moves and terrible singing voice, and his positive outlook on life despite the hand he was dealt towards the end. I will miss his advice and I will miss campaigning with him to advance the causes dear to us. But most of all I will miss just spending time with my friend.

"All of us in the Labour Party will be forever grateful for his commitment to our movement, particularly during his time working in the Scottish Parliament and his pivotal role in the Better Together campaign. His death will be mourned by all those who had the pleasure to work alongside him.

"Although we grieve for Gordon, we must not allow our sadness to erase the many happy memories we have of his time with us. To respond to his MND diagnosis by raising more than £500,000 for research into this horrible disease so that others don't have to suffer like he did should inspire us all.

"Gordon's constant determination to do good for others was an antidote to a world so full of fear and anger. I hope that will be his legacy."

Tony Blair added his thoughts on the campaigner.

"He was a truly vital and remarkable man and I am proud to have known him. Gordon showed tremendous courage and determination after he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease.

"He refused to be defeated and instead campaigned tirelessly on behalf of fellow sufferers and wrote movingly about his own experiences in dealing with this terrible disease."

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Wilie Rennie tweeted: "Terribly sad. A generous, determined and gentle man. He has left a great legacy", while Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson tweeted: "So sad this morning to hear of the death of Gordon Aikman, a brave & beautiful man. My thoughts are with his husband @joepike & wider family."

Launching his fundraising campaign, Mr Aikman posted a stark message about his condition.

He said: "I'm dying. And fast.

"That ‐ in short ‐ was what my doctor told me when I was diagnosed with motor neurone disease.

"It's not the news you expect when you are 29 years old.

"Motor neurone disease (or MND) is a progressive and debilitating disease that attacks the brain and spinal cord. It leads to weakness and muscle wasting and will affect how I walk, talk, eat and breathe. There is no cure.

"Soon it will kill me.

"I don't want pity. All I want is for you to take action to help fund a cure and fight for better care for people with MND.

"It'll be too late for me, but we must ‐ and with your help we will ‐ find a cure for the next generation.

"With your help I can turn a negative into a positive."

The Gordon's Fightback campaign went on to win cross-party support at Holyrood, and was successful in delivering action to improve the lives of MND sufferers across Scotland.

These included paying carers the living wage, doubling the number of MND nurses, guaranteeing voice synthesizers for MND sufferers who lost their voice, and doubling funding for research into the illness.

Craig Stockton, chief executive of MND Scotland, said: "Everyone at MND Scotland is deeply saddened to hear of Gordon's passing.

"Although Gordon was diagnosed with a terminal illness, this has still come as a shock to us all. I feel privileged to have known Gordon and to have worked alongside him on MND Scotland's Board of Trustees.

"In the face of a devastating diagnosis at the age of just 29, Gordon turned his grief into a drive to fight for the rights of others affected and to fund a cure.

"In addition to his campaigning and fundraising efforts, Gordon has played a pivotal role in raising awareness of MND and the daily challenges people with the illness can face, through his own personal experiences."