Frank Field, former MP

Funkfingers

Frank Field - Baron Field of Birkenhead - 81. One-time minister, campaigning back bencher and, later, peer. One of the last of the good 'uns. 

Kittyfrisk

Indeed a sad loss, despite his being a fair age.
From the days when having strongly held, principled views didn't stop you being heard.
I believe that he won't be among the last of the good 'uns, as I am in dire need of some hope... RIP

DavidR

I recently ploughed through a book of all the PM’s since Horace Walpole and it is not true that politicians used to be better. They weren’t. 

Churchill said Parliamentary Democracy is without doubt the worst system of government……..apart from every other system that has ever been tried throughout history!

Frank Field was definitely one of the good guys. If politicians are just a group of heroes and villains he has to be in the first group. 

 

He won’t be the last of the good’uns. Hope springs eternal. 

RIP

Offset

I'd echo everything said above.  He was most definitely one of the good guys, but never fear - there are some left.  I'm hoping that a new Labour government will give Hilary Benn a senior position on the front bench (provided he wants it) as he's always struck me as a thoroughly decent man and an incredibly capable politician.

RIP Frank.

Philly_Q

I saw him on a bus once.  Not too many MPs travel on buses, I'd imagine.

Offset

Philly_Q said:

I saw him on a bus once.  Not too many MPs travel on buses, I'd imagine.

Some of the current crop would stand a good chance of being lynched.

Philly_Q

Offset said:

Philly_Q said:

I saw him on a bus once.  Not too many MPs travel on buses, I'd imagine.

Some of the current crop would stand a good chance of being lynched.

True...  to complete the set, I have seen a total of four MPs on London public transport over the years.  The others were my former local MPs Keith Hill and Chuka Umunna, plus Stephen Twigg, the bloke who famously ousted Michael Portillo at Enfield Southgate.  Oh, and I've seen Lisa Nandy and Jo Johnson walking in London.  Not together, though.

Matt_McG

I've seen a few. John MacDonald, Ken Livingston both multiple times getting on and off trains and tubes. Stephen Pound (who was my former local MP at one time), and David Lammy. 

Blueingreen

My wife's closest friend was waiting for a bus and Shirley Williams came up to her and explained that the service wasn't operating properly and she was waiting at the wrong stop. 

sxard

I've seen Rupa Huq on the tube a couple of times.

Offset

I saw Clare Short in Paris some years ago, and when I was a student in the mid-80s I had lunch with my tutor at County Hall.  Tony Banks came along to join us :-)

Philly_Q

Offset said:

I saw Clare Short in Paris some years ago, and when I was a student in the mid-80s I had lunch with my tutor at County Hall.  Tony Banks came along to join us :-)

Wow, I'm ashamed to say that I'd forgotten Tony Banks.  18 years since he died!  He was one of those rare MPs with the charisma to become a "personality" outside of politics.

Offset

sxard said:

I've seen Rupa Huq on the tube a couple of times.

I hope you've recovered from the experience.