Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox
Get our free View from Westminster email
Former Labour minister and crossbench peer Frank Field has died aged 81, his family has announced.
Lord Field had been diagnosed with terminal cancer.
A statement from Lord Field of Birkenhead’s family, issued by his Parliamentary office, said: “Frank Field (Rt Hon Lord Field of Birkenhead, CH) has died at the age of 81 following a period of illness.
“Frank was director of the Child Poverty Action Group between 1969 and 1979, and the Member of Parliament for Birkenhead between 1979 and 2019.
“During that time, he served as a Minister for Welfare Reform and led the Independent Review on Poverty and Life Chances. He also chaired the House of Commons Work and Pensions Select Committee (and its predecessor Committee on Social Services and Social Security) as well as the Joint Committee on the Draft Modern Slavery Bill.
“In 2020, Frank entered the House of Lords as the Rt Hon the Lord Field of Birkenhead, was appointed Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH) in the 2022 New Year Honours and continued to serve on the boards of Cool Earth, Feeding Britain and the Frank Field Education Trust.
“Frank is survived by two brothers.
“He will be mourned by admirers across politics but above all he will be greatly missed by those lucky enough to have enjoyed his laughter and friendship.”
His death comes two and a half years after he revealed he was terminally ill after spending time in a hospice . At the time, he came out in support of an assisted dying bill being debated in the House of Lords, though he was not well enough to participate in the debate.
Lord Field was the Labour MP for Birkenhead for almost 40 years before resigning the party whip over the antisemitism crisis under Jeremy Corbyn. He formed his own party, the Birkenhead Social Justice Party, before losing his seat at the 2019 general election.
He was then made Lord Field of Birkenhead, a crossbench peer.
In a moving moment in the House of Lords last year, Lord Field appeared in the chamber of the House of Lords in a wheelchair to pledge his allegiance to the King.
The former minister waved to colleagues who then shouted “hear, hear” in support of him. He had previously spoken about his determination to take the oath to the King, which all peers are required to do after the death of a monarch.
More follows on this breaking story…
