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Michael Foot, firebrand of the Left and former Evening Standard editor, dies aged 96
Joe Murphy, Political Editor4 Mar 2010
Former Labour leader Michael Foot, who has died aged 96, was hailed by Gordon Brown today as
“a genuine British radical”.
The Prime Minister said Mr Foot was “a man of deep principle and passionate idealism” and David Cameron praised his “incredibly powerful” speeches.
Lord Healey, who lost to him in the 1980 Labour leadership contest, said: “Although I disagreed with him on issues — he was far to the Left of me — I was glad to serve as his deputy.”
Mr Foot served 47 years as an MP, became editor of the Evening Standard at the age of 28, wrote acclaimed biographies of HG Wells and Aneurin Bevan and was falsely alleged to have been a Soviet agent of influence.
But he is best remembered as the Labour leader who led his party to the Left and to its most shattering defeat of modern times in 1983, and for his long campaign against nuclear weapons. Mr Foot died shortly before 7am today at his home in Hampstead. He had been ill for some time and had been receiving 24-hour care.
Announcing his death to the Commons, Justice Secretary Jack Straw told MPs there would be “great sadness not only in my own party but across the country as a whole”.
The Prime Minister said that Mr Foot was held in huge respect by his political opponents. “He was an indomitable figure who always stood up for his beliefs and whether people agreed with him or not, they admired his character and his steadfastness.”
His wife of 50 years was the feminist historian Jill Craigie, who died in 1999. Their nephew, campaigning journalist Paul Foot, died in 2004.
He began his parliamentary career after the war as MP for Plymouth and then for Ebbw Vale. He rejected an early offer of ministerial promotion from Harold Wilson, choosing to lead the Left from the backbenches.
Defeated for the deputy leadership in 1972, he was employment secretary when Labour returned to power in 1974. After Wilson retired, he was beaten to the leadership by Jim Callaghan but secured the deputy post.
In 1979, he was elected opposition leader although 67 and frail-looking. Comedian Kenny Everett joked at a Tory rally: “Let's kick Michael Foot's stick away” and the press accused him of wearing a donkey jacket to the Cenotaph.
The image stuck, despite Foot later protesting that it was a respectable green jacket and that the Queen Mother had complimented him. She called it “a smart, sensible coat for a day like this”.
Labour's 1983 manifesto — containing unilateral nuclear disarmament, higher taxes, scrapping the Lords, nationalising banks and quitting Europe — was dubbed “the longest suicide note in history”. Margaret Thatcher won by a landslide.
A republican, humanist and diehard opponent of the honours system, he refused a knighthood or a peerage several times.
Reader views (18)
There use to be three Foots, brothers. What happened to Dingle. i remember thinking he was the most sensible.
- Alan, Very Distressed At So Many Poor People In Browns Britain., England. The forgotten country., 04/03/2010 09:32
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Can truly be said he was one of the main architects of modern Britain. Yea , well whatever , know what I mean like ?
- Chris M, morbihan,france, 03/03/2010 22:38
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A deluded buffoon. If elected PM this country would have
been the biggest running joke history. Oh I forgot:
McBuffoon has now achieved that!
- Lb, Bromley, 03/03/2010 21:38
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Sad to see so many churlish partisan comments (from both sides). Agree with him or not, he was an honest man who stood for what he said he did. If politicians were more like him today, we'd be a lot better off.
- Kevin T, Beckenham, Kent, 03/03/2010 16:53
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Frankly My Dears - I could n't give a damn.
- Anglo, Sussex UK, 03/03/2010 16:18
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Foot demonstrated that good parliamentarians do not make good party leaders. It would seem that the Country has lost one of the best antidotes to megalomaniac politicians of whcih we have a present abundance.
- Bj, East London, 03/03/2010 16:14
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"became editor of the Evening Standard at the age of 28" Can we get some more detail?!
- Jacqui Smith'S Dvd Collection!, Hackney, London, 03/03/2010 16:00
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Oh you mean Myra Hindley's friend. I remember when he was Labour Leader and nothing much has changed with their policies ever since!
- Sue, Kent
Marvellous - you die - then people think you are Lord Longford - good to see that magnificent British sense of humour is alive and well Sue
- Bruno, Cumnock, 03/03/2010 15:41
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Obviously a man who was simply 50 years ahead of his time: "scrapping nuclear weapons, nationalising banks, raising taxes, quitting Europe" if this was Labour's suicide note then, it is now or will soon be mainstream politics.
- Bloke, Lambeth, 03/03/2010 15:24
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A man of compassion, conviction and integrity, and how he was vilified by the Tories and their media poodles for having the atributes of a decent human being.
- Kerry, Purley
Don't make me laugh Kerry!
What do you mean vilified!! They LOVED him- he single- handedly gave them 18 years, almost a generation, of power.
- Steve, Brentford, 03/03/2010 14:54
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Without a doubt, a kind, intelligent,parliamentarian and humanitarian.
Unfortunately,he lead a party that was a pack of in-fighting dogmatic socialist idealogues who had no interest in running the country(just like today).
Mr Foot's peacemaking skills resulted in Tony Benn and the hard nutter left controlling the party and that resulted in producing a manifesto that was extremist and self-indulgent in a make believe land of cuckoo socialist Utopia!
Just when the Thatcher government was causing severe hardship and havc Labour offered no hope whatsoever!
- James From Camden, LONDON, 03/03/2010 14:45
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One of the few "real" politicians of recent years. Said what he believed, stood up for what he believed in. Didn't agree with him on many things - but I would have had no problem with him being my MP.
- Adam, Billericay, Essex, 03/03/2010 14:38
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A fool.
- Gwilym Rhys-Jones, marbella spain, 03/03/2010 14:37
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Oh you mean Myra Hindley's friend. I remember when he was Labour Leader and nothing much has changed with their policies ever since!
- Sue, Kent, 03/03/2010 14:13
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A man of compassion, conviction and integrity, and how he was vilified by the Tories and their media poodles for having the atributes of a decent human being.
- Kerry, Purley, 03/03/2010 14:01
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Michael Foot gave politics a good name - we shall miss him.
- Derek, London, London, 03/03/2010 14:01
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A man of honesty and integrity from a different age - a man who did not cut his opinions to suit the latest whim of the week, to pander to a journalist or to lever a few more votes from the electorate.
A credit to his profession of politics, a very rare breed indeed.
- Bruno, Cumnock, 03/03/2010 13:44
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Agree with his Politics or not,one of Parliaments greatest orators,an honest MP,and couldn't we do with a few now.
- Michael Porter Bannister, Sunningdale, 03/03/2010 13:30
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