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Sir Tony Lloyd: Veteran Labour MP for Rochdale dies aged 73

The politician, who spent over 40 years representing Greater Manchester, was diagnosed with leukaemia.

Tony Lloyd
Image: Pic: House of Commons
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Labour Party veteran Sir Tony Lloyd has died aged 73.

The MP for Rochdale, who served as a politician across Greater Manchester for over 40 years, had been receiving treatment for blood cancer.

But earlier in January, he said it had turned into an aggressive and untreatable form of leukaemia, and he was leaving hospital to "spend the time I have left with my family".

Despite his illness, Sir Tony ended his message by reassuring his constituents his office would remain open to ensure they were still supported.

Foreign Office Minister of State Tony Lloyd, the minister at the centre of the arms-to-Africa allegations today (Tuesday) addresses the House of Commmons and insisted there would be "no cover-up" over the affair. 21/11/00: Lloyd is a candidate for the new chairman. * of the Parliamentary Labour Party. Labour MPs are voting for its new PLP chairman.
Image: He was appointed a foreign minister in the early years of the Blair government

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: "The death of Sir Tony Lloyd today is a terrible loss. I know the entire Labour Party, and many beyond the party, join me in sending our deepest condolences to Tony's wife, Judith, his children, Siobhan, Angharad, Kieron and Ali, and his granddaughters, Carmen and Carys.

"Like them, we will remember his deep commitment to Labour values and his decency. 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. In the Labour Party, we will honour his legacy of service to others and his commitment to justice.

"May he rest in peace."

MPs from both sides of the Commons posted tributes and statements on social media.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: "Very sad news.

"My thoughts are with Sir Tony's family, friends and the people of Manchester to whom he was devoted throughout his life.

"May he rest in peace.".

Sir Tony was born in Stretford, Greater Manchester, in 1950 and attended the local grammar school, before going to the University of Nottingham to study maths.

But he returned to Manchester to get an MBA and later became a business studies lecturer at the University of Salford.

His political career began in 1979 when he won a seat on the Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council, but come 1983, he had turned to national politics, representing his home constituency of Stretford until 1997.

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Foreign Office Minister Lynda Chalker informs four Manchester MPs of the Government's latest position regarding jailed South African Nelson Mandela, outside the Foreign Office in London. The MPs are left to right, Bob Litherland, Keith Bradley, Tony Lloyd and Alf Morris.in 1988
Image: Sir Tony (middle) in 1988 with fellow MPs as they fought for the release of Nelson Mandela

After a shift in boundaries, he then represented Manchester Central until 2012, when he decided to move away from Westminster to return to local politics and run as his region's police and crime commissioner - overseeing one of the largest forces in the UK.

Following a short stint as the interim mayor for Greater Manchester, he also ran to become the Labour Party candidate for the mayoral elections, but he came second to Andy Burnham.

However, he used the opportunity to return to parliament, serving the constituency of Rochdale from 2017.

(from second left) Interim mayor Tony Lloyd and Ivan Lewis sit next to Andy Burnham, before he was announced as the Labour candidate who will fight to become the mayor of Greater Manchester in 2016
Image: Sir Tony lost his mayoral bid to Mr Burnham who won Labour's nomination

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During his Westminster career, Sir Tony served as a foreign minister in the early years of Tony Blair's government, and later became the chair of the parliamentary Labour Party.

While on the opposition benches, he held a huge range of roles, from education through to housing, but most recently served as shadow Scotland secretary in Sir Keir Starmer's frontbench team.

After being struck by COVID at the height of the pandemic and being put on a ventilator for 10 days, he decided to step back from his role to recover fully, but he remained a dedicated backbench constituency MP.