Labour MP Tony Lloyd Has Died Aged 73
2 min read
Labour MP Tony Lloyd has died at the age of 73, his family have confirmed.
The MP for Rochdale “died peacefully this morning, surrounded by his family”, according to a statement on social media.
They said that he was “working until a few days before his death as his passion was helping others”.
“He devoted his life to serving and making a difference to the lives of those he mat, including his constituents, colleagues, friends and family,” the statement added.
Last week, the MP announced that he had been "receiving treatment for some time for a form of blood cancer" but "unfortunately this has now transformed into an aggressive and untreatable form of leukaemia".
Labour leader Keir Starmer led tributes, and said Lloyd's death was "a terrible loss".
In a statement, he said that "we will always be grateful for his dedication to public life, his devotion to his country and his desire to make the world a better, fairer place."
Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said that she will miss Lloyd's "friendship and his advice".
Chris Bryant, the MP for Rhondda, described Lloyd as “a magnificent, magnanimous and thoroughly decent man”, while Luke Pollard who represents Plymouth Sutton and Devonport said he was “a thoroughly decent, kind and generous man”.
Conservative MP for Skipton and Ripon Julian Smith said that Lloyd was "incredible to work with and stood out for his trust, honesty and integrity".
Lloyd was first elected to Parliament in 1983 as the MP for Stretford, and later went on to represent Manchester Central between 1997 and 2012, before serving as MP for Rochdale from 2017 to the present day.
Between 2012 and 2017 he served as the Greater Manchester Police and Crime Commissioner, and, the interim and first Mayor of Greater Manchester between 2015 and 2017.
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