The Labour veteran Michael Foot was praised as perhaps the finest parliamentarian of his generation today after news of his death this morning at the age of 96.
The socialist with the unruly shock of white hair beat the rightwinger Dennis Healey in a bitter fight for Labour's soul in 1980, arguing that he was best placed to unite the party as leader.
Less than three years later, after presenting a 700-page manifesto dubbed "the longest suicide note in history", he led Labour to its worst election defeat – only just managing to beat the SDP-Liberal alliance in the popular vote.
Mr Foot, who had been ill for some time, died shortly before 7am morning at his home in Hampstead, north London.
His death was confirmed on the floor of the House of Commons by Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary. "I am sure that this news will be received with great sadness not only in my own party but across the country as a whole," Mr Straw said. "He was held in very great affection in all sections of the House and across the country."
The tributes poured in from across the political divide.
Gordon Brown praised Mr Foot as "a man of deep principle and passionate idealism". "He was an indomitable figure who always stood up for his beliefs and whether people agreed with him or not they admired his character and his steadfastness," he said.
John Prescott, the former deputy prime minister, flashed up his tribute on Twitter: "A great man has died. He was the heart of our movement."
Baroness Thatcher, who faced Mr Foot in many fiery clashes across the Commons despatch box, said in a statement released by her office that she was "very sorry" to hear of his death. "He was a great parliamentarian and a man of high principles," she said.
Also paying tribute was Mr Foot's successor at the helm of the Labour Party, Neil Kinnock, who lost successive elections to Mrs Thatcher and John Major but laid the groundwork for Labour's later success.
Mr Kinnock said: "He knew - as I knew, which is why I counselled him against doing it - that he was letting himself into purgatory in becoming leader of the Labour Party in its darkest, grimmest hour.
"But if he hadn’t done it, I don’t think Labour would have survived as a political force, simply because of the way in which factionalists and self-indulgent people were ripping the party to pieces. It was Michael’s courage and utter commitment to the cause of the party which enabled the party to continue in recognisable existence and to fight and win another day."
Source:The Times
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