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| Tributes paid to veteran Labour MP Michael Meacher | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Veteran Labour MP and former minister Michael Meacher has died after a short illness at the age of 75. | Veteran Labour MP and former minister Michael Meacher has died after a short illness at the age of 75. |
| Mr Meacher had been MP for Oldham West and Royton since 1970, retaining the seat with a 14,738 majority in May. | Mr Meacher had been MP for Oldham West and Royton since 1970, retaining the seat with a 14,738 majority in May. |
| Mr Meacher, seen as being on the left of the party, spent 29 years on Labour's frontbench including six as an environment minister under Tony Blair. | Mr Meacher, seen as being on the left of the party, spent 29 years on Labour's frontbench including six as an environment minister under Tony Blair. |
| Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he was a "man of enormous breadth and intellectual vision". | Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he was a "man of enormous breadth and intellectual vision". |
| He served in junior ministerial roles in the Wilson and Callaghan governments in the 1970s and at one time was spoken of as a future Labour leader. | He served in junior ministerial roles in the Wilson and Callaghan governments in the 1970s and at one time was spoken of as a future Labour leader. |
| Mr Meacher, an Oxford University classics graduate who had been a lecturer before becoming an MP, stood as the left's candidate against Roy Hattersley for the deputy leadership of the party in 1983, but was defeated. | Mr Meacher, an Oxford University classics graduate who had been a lecturer before becoming an MP, stood as the left's candidate against Roy Hattersley for the deputy leadership of the party in 1983, but was defeated. |
| He quit Tony Blair's government as a minister in June 2003 reshuffle, saying he planned to speak out on a range of issues from the back benches. | He quit Tony Blair's government as a minister in June 2003 reshuffle, saying he planned to speak out on a range of issues from the back benches. |
| In 2007, he attempted to challenge Gordon Brown for the Labour leadership before standing aside to allow John McDonnell, now the shadow chancellor, to stand as the candidate from the party's left wing. | In 2007, he attempted to challenge Gordon Brown for the Labour leadership before standing aside to allow John McDonnell, now the shadow chancellor, to stand as the candidate from the party's left wing. |
| Green MP Caroline Lucas said Mr Meacher was a "great politician, championing climate action". | Green MP Caroline Lucas said Mr Meacher was a "great politician, championing climate action". |
| Mr Meacher had two sons and two daughters from his first marriage in 1962 to Molly, now cross-bench peer Baroness Meacher, who has been leading attempts to block the government's controversial tax credit cuts. He wed again in 1988 to Lucianne, a charity director, who survives him. | |
| Michael Meacher | Michael Meacher |
| Michael Meacher's life and career | Michael Meacher's life and career |
| Mr Corbyn released a lengthy statement paying tribute to Mr Meacher, who he first met in the early 1970s. | Mr Corbyn released a lengthy statement paying tribute to Mr Meacher, who he first met in the early 1970s. |
| The Labour leader said Mr Meacher had urged him to stand in the leadership contest and given him "huge support". | The Labour leader said Mr Meacher had urged him to stand in the leadership contest and given him "huge support". |
| "He was a valued friend and commentator utterly committed to democracy in our party and movement, as well as in the wider community," he added. | "He was a valued friend and commentator utterly committed to democracy in our party and movement, as well as in the wider community," he added. |
| Peter Dean, Mr Meacher's PA and office manager, told the Oldham Evening Chronicle: "We are extremely sad and it has been quite a short illness he has had and we just don't know the details at present. | Peter Dean, Mr Meacher's PA and office manager, told the Oldham Evening Chronicle: "We are extremely sad and it has been quite a short illness he has had and we just don't know the details at present. |
| "He was such a well respected person and we will just try to deal with any problems people in the area have ongoing. We will still try to assist in any way we can. | "He was such a well respected person and we will just try to deal with any problems people in the area have ongoing. We will still try to assist in any way we can. |
| "We are extremely sad for his family but all of his staff here at his office have worked with him for 20 years so it is almost like a family bereavement for us. Our office usually deals with around 5,000 cases every year so he has impacted on an enormous amount of people's lives." | "We are extremely sad for his family but all of his staff here at his office have worked with him for 20 years so it is almost like a family bereavement for us. Our office usually deals with around 5,000 cases every year so he has impacted on an enormous amount of people's lives." |
| Len McCluskey, general secretary of Unite, said: "He was a tremendous figure in the Labour movement, devoting his life to the advancement of working people and for that he will always be remembered with deep fondness. | Len McCluskey, general secretary of Unite, said: "He was a tremendous figure in the Labour movement, devoting his life to the advancement of working people and for that he will always be remembered with deep fondness. |
| "As a personal friend I always welcomed his views and guidance as well as his optimism and commitment to improving ordinary people's lives. He was a true friend of the trade union movement." | "As a personal friend I always welcomed his views and guidance as well as his optimism and commitment to improving ordinary people's lives. He was a true friend of the trade union movement." |
| Ex-Labour leader Ed Miliband called him "principled, kind... committed to a fairer, more just world". | Ex-Labour leader Ed Miliband called him "principled, kind... committed to a fairer, more just world". |
| The death means a first by-election for Labour under Jeremy Corbyn. | The death means a first by-election for Labour under Jeremy Corbyn. |