Miliband leads tributes to MP Bell

Oct 13 2012

The death of Sir Stuart Bell is a "huge blow", Labour leader Ed Miliband has said as he lead tributes to the veteran Labour MP.

The 74-year-old, who represented Middlesbrough for nearly three decades, lost a short battle with pancreatic cancer earlier on Saturday, his family said.

"Sir Stuart's death will come as a huge blow to his family and many friends and colleagues," Mr Miliband said as MPs from all sides saluted his courtesy and kindness.

While never serving as a minister, Sir Stuart was the party's Northern Ireland spokesman during the 1980s and a parliamentary aide to then Labour deputy leader Roy Hattersley.

Later in his career he was handed a powerful role on the Commons Commission - the body responsible for running the House - and was knighted in 2004 for "services to Parliament". He played a central role during one of Parliament's most difficult periods, as the long-running scandal of MPs' expenses abuses finally emerged in 2009.

Mr Miliband said: "He spent the long years of opposition fighting for the Labour Party to regain power and championed, throughout his life, the many causes that were close to his heart. He resigned from the opposition front bench to pursue his calls for justice for the children and families of the Cleveland child abuse scandal.

"He served the House of Commons and the Church of England as the Church Commissioner, a position he held for thirteen years and was a passionate campaigner on European issues. The son of a north east miner, Stuart was fiercely proud to represent Middlesbrough. Stuart was a dedicated family man and had a formidable partnership with his wife Margaret. All our thoughts are with her and his children."

After a grammar school education, Sir Stuart was briefly a colliery clerk and newspaper reporter before becoming a barrister, living and working in Paris before returning to the UK in 1977 to pursue a career in politics. He unsuccessfully contested Hexham in 1979, and was a member of Newcastle City Council until he won Middlesbrough in 1983. He went on to hold the seat through seven general elections.

An ardent pro-European, in 2006 he was awarded the Legion d'Honneur by the French president for his contributions to Anglo-French relations. Labour former Europe minister Chris Bryant paid tribute to the "ardent and intelligent pro-European Labour MP" as parliamentary colleagues began to register their sorrow at his death via Twitter.

Ian Swales, the Liberal Democrat MP for neighbouring Redcar, wrote: "Very sad to hear of the death of Stuart Bell MP. Always a total gentleman to me."