A former Labour minister who was famously confronted by Joanna Lumley in a dwell TV showdown has died from mind most cancers aged 66.
Phil Woolas was MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth from 1997 till 2010 and held a number of ministerial posts below Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.
However his political profession resulted in controversy and shame when a court docket dominated he had damaged electoral regulation by intentionally making false statements about his Liberal Democrat opponent.
His TV conflict with nationwide treasure Ms Lumley got here when she led opposition to proposals by Brown’s authorities in 2009 to limit the rights of retired Gurkhas to settle within the UK.
Tony Blair and Phil Woolas in Could 2010. Pic: AP
On the time, he was a combative immigration minister within the Residence Workplace and Ms Lumley was spearheading the Gurkhas Justice Marketing campaign combating Woolas’s plans.
With Labour rebels becoming a member of Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs, the federal government suffered a humiliating defeat on the proposals within the Commons.
Then, after an authentic confrontation inside a TV studio in Westminster, the pair agreed to carry a joint information convention, which descended into chaos.
Broadcast dwell on Sky Information and different channels, the actress appeared to influence Woolas to simply accept that the Gurkhas’ attorneys would draw up new pointers.
And after dramatic scenes, Ms Lumley declared: “I’ve met Mr Woolas now and I’m reassured once more. As a result of I do know we’re going to help Mr Woolas in making the strongest pointers doable.”
It was the defining second of a life in politics that started when Woolas joined the Labour social gathering at 16 and was president of the Nationwide Union of College students from 1984 to 1986.
Mr Woolas in February 2024. Pic: PA
Paying tribute, Sir Tony Blair mentioned: “Phil was an impressive member of the New Labour authorities, a drastically revered and admired colleague, and a supply of each humour and wealthy political perception to all fortunate sufficient to know him.
“I keep in mind and deeply respect his assist to me through the years, via the nice instances and the dangerous.
“My deepest condolences to the great Tracey and to their sons, Josh and Jed, and all their wider household.”
Defence Secretary John Healey, an in depth pal, advised Sky Information: “Throughout the ’80s and ’90s many helped lay the foundations for New Labour, defeating the arduous left and modernising the scholar motion, commerce unions, media, Labour Social gathering and Parliamentary Labour Social gathering.
“No-one performed a major position in all these areas – besides Phil.
“He was a extremely regarded ministerial operator with associates throughout the political divide, regardless of being a fiercely loyal Labour man all his life.”
After a brief profession as a TV producer, he grew to become head of communications for the GMB union and masterminded one of the high-profile stunts ever staged by a commerce union.
In 1996, protesting towards a 75% pay rise to £475,000 a 12 months for British Gasoline boss Cedric Brown, the union took a dwell pig known as Cedric to the agency’s AGM to focus on “snouts within the trough”.
After unsuccessfully combating the Littleborough and Saddleworth by-election in 1995, he was elected within the 1997 Blair landslide and after a spell as a parliamentary bag-carrier started his ministerial profession in 2003.
He was deputy Commons chief and a neighborhood authorities minister below Blair, then below Brown he grew to become an setting minister after which immigration minister in 2008.
However all through his profession he was outspoken and infrequently controversial and in 2010, after he held his seat by simply 103 votes, he was served with an election petition by Lib Dem opponent Elwyn Watkins.
He misplaced the next court docket case – in an election court docket that was the primary of its variety for 99 years – and the choose ordered a re-run of the election.
The court docket dominated that Woolas knew statements he made about Watkins throughout the marketing campaign had been unfaithful and he was due to this fact responsible of unlawful practices below election regulation.
A bitter Woolas mentioned after the ruling: “Those that stand for election and take part within the democratic course of have to be ready to have their political conduct and motives subjected to looking, scrutiny and inquiry.
“They need to settle for that their political character and conduct shall be attacked.”
However Labour’s appearing chief Harriet Harman introduced his suspension from the social gathering and mentioned: “It isn’t a part of Labour politics to attempt to win elections by saying issues that aren’t true.”
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After the controversial finish to his profession in parliament, Woolas fashioned a lobbying firm with a former Conservative MP, Sir Sydney Chapman, and a former Liberal Democrat MP, Paul Keetch, each of whom later died.
He leaves a widow, Tracey Jane Allen, an occasions organiser and former co-director of a lobbying firm. They met in 1982 via their actions in pupil politics and married in 1988.
That they had two sons, Josh and Jed, and their first grandchild was born on 20 January, lower than two months earlier than Woolas’s dying. He’s additionally survived by his mom and older brother.
Mr Healey added: “Phil was a passionate Manchester United season ticket holder, wine connoisseur, fisherman, raconteur with a photographic reminiscence and heat and interesting character.
“However he did not endure fools and was a principled fighter pushed by the necessity to make an actual change to society. His dedication to the Labour Social gathering by no means wavered over 50 years, via many challenges.”
