The legacy of Ivan Cameron

It's difficult not to be affected by news of children dying. The death of six-year-old Ivan Cameron, the son of the Conservative leader, is so sad.

Ivan had cerebal palsy and Otahara syndrome, a very rare form of epilepsy. While his life was always likely to be a short one, the grief felt by David Cameron and his family will no doubt be profound. I saw the tributes paid today in the House of Commons by Gordon Brown and others and they were very moving. Party politics is having a day off.

The fact this has happened to the Leader of the Opposition will put the plight of disabled children and the impact their various conditions have on their families right in the public eye over the coming days and more.

The PM and his wife, of course, lost their first child Jennifer at 10 days old, back in 2002. And their little boy Fraser suffers from cystic fibrosis.

For the disabled children's lobby it's at least reassuring we happen to have two party leaders who understand more than most of us ever will, what it means to bring up a child with a disability. Hopefully, Ivan's short life will deepen that understanding for the public at large, and mean that the right level of support gets to those children and families who are affected.