Theresa May leads emotional Commons tributes to Tessa Jowell
3 min read
Theresa May today led MPs in heartfelt tributes to the late Dame Tessa Jowell, who died this weekend after a battle with brain cancer.
The Labour peer, who was diagnosed with the illness in May last year, suffered a haemorrhage on Friday and died peacefully on Saturday at her Warwickshire home.
The Prime Minister hailed the former Labour cabinet minister’s “warmth… compassion and incredible strength of character” as MPs from across the House lined up to share anecdotes about their former colleague and pay tribute to her achievements in government
Mrs May described Dame Tessa as "the most extraordinary politician, colleague and campaigner", and hailed her bravery in the face of the disease.
She added: "Her dignity and courage were as humbling as they were inspirational. She was resolutely brave, not only in how she faced her treatment but also through the way in which she spoke so openly about her illness and campaigned tirelessly for greater brain cancer research."
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn meanwhile described Dame Tessa as a “warm and compassionate person” and paid tribute to her role in bringing in Sure Start children's centres under the last Labour government.
He said: “That is one of the great achievements of that government – the idea that all children have a place, all children are supported and all families are supported as well in the difficult times that they go through.
“It helped to lift a million children out of poverty and I thank her for that.”
He added: “I think she will be remembered for her passion, for her sense of social justice, for her sense of inclusion, for her sense of fun in dealing with people, but above all, also the manner of her leaving us. Her children and family are obviously totally devastated but I think they can be very proud of the legacy that she has left behind…
“She taught us how to live and I think she also taught us how to die.”
Other MPs hailed Dame Tessa's determination in securing the London Olympics in 2012 and her final speech in the House of Lords on brain cancer treatment.
Her former Labour frontbench colleague Harriet Harman said there would be many people across the country that would be “feeling sad but also feeling immensely proud that they can say: 'I knew Tessa Jowell'".
The SNP’s Pete Wishart described her death as the “passing of one of the truly great parliamentarians of the past 30 years”.
Ministers this morning announced that they would double the Government's annual spend on research into brain cancer in honour of Dame Tessa, with a new foundation set up by the late Labour grandee now set to receive £40m a year in funding.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who was shadowed by Dame Tessa during the 2012 London Olympics she helped to secure for the UK, told MPs: "Some people might wonder why a Conservative government is so determined to mark the legacy of a Labour cabinet ministers.
"But those who... knew Tessa won't be surprised at all, because she had an incredible gift for bringing people together and bringing down barriers - and it was unique and inspiring."
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