Labour stalwart and former deputy leader, Roy Hattersley, has passed away at the age of 93. Hattersley, born in Sheffield in 1932, made his political debut in 1964 as the MP for Birmingham Sparkbrook, successfully defeating a Tory incumbent by a significant margin.

During his 33-year tenure in Parliament, Hattersley held various positions, including ministerial roles under Prime Ministers Harold Wilson and James Callaghan. Despite an unsuccessful leadership bid in 1983, he served as Neil Kinnock’s deputy from 1983 to 1992, prominently handling responsibilities as shadow Home Secretary.

Notably, Hattersley transitioned from a traditional Labour stance to a more critical position towards Tony Blair’s New Labour, perceiving it as straying from core social justice principles. Following his retirement from the Commons in 1997, he was honored with a life peerage as Baron Hattersley of Sparkbrook and continued his literary pursuits as an author and media personality.

Hattersley’s personal life included a marriage to Molly Loughran, which ended in divorce in 2013, followed by a union with his literary agent, Maggie Pearlstine, who survives him. Tributes poured in for the late politician, with Labour leader Keir Starmer acknowledging Hattersley’s enduring commitment to social equality and expressing condolences to his family.