Articles tagged Tribute:
A Tribute to James Brokenshire 1968-2021
- 8 Oct 2021
No father of young children should have to die at the age of 53. To say the death of James Brokenshire is a tragedy is an understatement. All I have been able to think about over the last few hours, after I learned of James's death, is the sense of utter desolation that Cathy ...
A Tribute to Shirley Williams (1930-2021)
- 12 Apr 2021
I have just learned that Shirley Williams, Baroness Williams of Crosby, has died at the age of 90. In the last week we have lost Cheryl Gillan, Peter Ainsworth and Ian Gibson from the ranks of politicians or ex-politicians. And now Shirley. I do hope her death is not eclipsed ...
A Tribute to Peter Cropper
- 24 May 2020
Peter Cropper was a very great man, and I don't use the word 'great' about many people. I first met Peter in 1990 when Nicholas Finney and I started a new transport based public affairs consultancy, The Waterfront Partnership, and he joined us in the venture. Up to that po...
A Tribute to Paul Flynn 1935-2019
- 18 Feb 2019
I'm very sad to hear that the veteran Labour MP Paul Flynn has died at the age of 84. He was one of my favourite Labour MPs. We didn't really agree on an awful lot, but he was a brave politician and wasn't afraid to adopt causes which at the time were unpopular but later becam...
A Tribute to Nick Pett - Mentor, Teacher & Friend
- 20 Jan 2019
I first met Nick Pett when he was appointed Deputy Head Teacher at my school, Saffron Walden County High (pic above). This was in the mid 1970s. He never actually taught me, but he became a good friend to me and my two sisters and also my parents. He was the kind of aut...
An Appreciation of Sir John Redwood
- 29 Dec 2018
I'm not a massive fan of the way the Honours System operates. It's more open and transarent than it used to be, but it is undermined by the domination of honours for civil servants who are just doing their jobs. Indeed, some seem to get honours for doing their jobs very badly....
My Personal Tribute to Paddy Ashdown - A Political Hero of Modern Times
- 22 Dec 2018
"I would absolutely LOVE to do this." Those were the typically enthusiastic words from Paddy Ashdown when I emailed him to invite him to take part in one of the first episodes of my new political panel show, CROSS QUESTION. Sadly it was never to happen. Only a few days ...
A Tribute to President George H W Bush
- 1 Dec 2018
It was sad to learn of the death of President George H W Bush this morning, but what a life he had led. I never felt he got the recognition he deserved while alive, so let’s hope that’s corrected in the many obituaries which will appear over the next few hours and days. The...
My Interview with Morgan Tsvangirai
- 14 Feb 2018
Ten years ago I interviewed the Zimbabwean Opposition Leader, Morgan Tsvangirai. It was the cover interview of the second ever edition of Total Politics magazine Tonight it was announced he had died, at the age of 65. Here’s the i You won the election in March. Do you now fee...
In Memory of Bert Rose - 1928-2017
- 6 Feb 2018
Last Friday I attended the funeral of Bert Rose at St Martin’s Church, Overstrand, near Cromer. Bert was a dear friend, and a key ally of mine when I stood for the Conservatives in North Norfolk. I gave the second eulogy. His good friend Paul Cater took us through his whole li...