WATCH: Top Labour MP fights back tears as she is told of Jeremy Heywood death live on air
6 min read
A top Labour MP had to fight back tears today as the news was broken to her live on air that ex-civil service boss Sir Jeremy Heywood had died of cancer.
Former minister Yvette Cooper welled up with emotion after Downing Street revealed the highly-respected Whitehall figure had passed away age 56 - just two weeks after he stepped down from Government.
Tributes poured in for the top mandarin from political heavyweights such as Gordon Brown and Tony Blair, as well as Theresa May, Jeremy Corbyn and a host of senior figures.
Sir Jeremy served as Cabinet Secretary between 2012 and 2018 and advised four Prime Ministers in key No 10 roles.
Home Affairs Committee chair Ms Cooper - who was a close friend of the Whitehall grandee - told Sophy Ridge on Sky News he was a “very honorable public servant” who stopped Governments doing “stupid things on many occasions”.
“Jeremy was a wonderful public servant and he I think did a huge amount to hold governments together at very difficult times,” she said.
“His contribution to public life for all governments, whatever your politics, was immense. I think we all owe him a debt of gratitude.”
Labour former PM Tony Blair said Sir Jeremy was an “outstanding public servant and someone I came to have enormous respect for both as a professional and as a person”.
He added that the mandarin had “served us all with integrity, distinction and infinite commitment”
His successor Gordon Brown said Sir Jeremy was “a leader of exceptional ability, unquestioned integrity and - as we saw in the way he fought his illness - remarkable courage”.
Ex-Tory PM David Cameron said: “Desperately sad news about Sir Jeremy Heywood. He was an amazing man, brilliant civil servant and dedicated to our country. It was a privilege to work with him.”
In a statement, Mrs May said: “This is extremely sad news and all of my thoughts are with Jeremy’s family and friends.
“The many retirement tributes paid to Jeremy from across the political spectrum in recent weeks demonstrated his extraordinary talent supporting and advising Prime Ministers and Ministers and leading the Civil Service with distinction.
“He worked tirelessly to to serve our country in the fined traditions of the Civil Service and he is a huge loss to British public life.”
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn tweeted that Sir Jeremy was an “impressive and dedicated public servant”.
And Lib Dem leader Vince Cable - who served in the Coalition government while Sir Jeremy led the civil service - told Sky News the former Whitehall boss was a “superb public servant”.
“He was brilliant at getting his head around very complicated problems and brokering agreements between ministers who were implacably opposed,” Sir Vince said.
“I think what was remarkable was he worked for Lib Dem, Conservative and Labour ministers and none of us had the faintest idea what his politics were.”
Other political figures weighed in to pay their respects on Twitter.
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