Veteran Labour MP Michael Meacher dies at age of 75

Veteran left-wing Labour MP Michael Meacher has died following a short illness, the party has announced.

The 75-year old former minister, who also served for a long period in the shadow cabinet, died yesterday.

He has represented Oldham since 1970.

Former Labour leader Ed Miliband was among MPs paying tribute to Mr Meacher .

Peter Dean, Mr Meacher's PA and office manager, told the Oldham Evening Chronicle: "We are extremely sad and it has been quite a short illness he has had and we just don't know the details at present.

"He was such a well respected person and we will just try to deal with any problems people in the area have ongoing. We will still try to assist in any way we can.

"We are extremely sad for his family but all of his staff here at his office have worked with him for 20 years so it is almost like a family bereavement for us.

"Our office usually deals with around 5,000 cases every year so he has impacted on an enormous amount of people's lives."

The death means a first by-election for Labour under Jeremy Corbyn, though Mr Meacher increased his majority in May to a very comfortable 14,738.

After leaving a career as a university lecturer to enter national politics, the Oxford classics graduate was a junior minister under Harold Wilson and James Callaghan and elected by MPs to the shadow cabinet every year from 1983 until Labour's return to power under Mr Blair in 1997.

Denied a cabinet position under the new leadership, the left-wing stalwart took on the environment brief where he gave strong support for renewable energy, organic agriculture and steered through Right to Roam legislation.

In 2007 - with 29 years of front bench experience - he challenged Gordon Brown for the party leadership when Mr Blair left office but withdrew to allow John McDonnell a clear run.