Former Labour minister and crossbench peer Frank Field, aged 81, has passed away, as announced by his family.
“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,” a statement said.
Lord Field, who served as MP for Birkenhead for four decades, was a prominent figure in the realm of welfare reform throughout his extensive career.
Having held ministerial positions under Tony Blair’s tenure, Lord Field brought his expertise to the House of Lords in 2020.
A statement from Lord Field of Birkenhead’s family, released by his parliamentary office, confirmed his passing after a period of illness.
“Frank was an extraordinary individual who spent his life fighting poverty, injustice and environmental destruction,” the statement said.
“His decency and faith in people’s self-interested altruism made a unique contribution to British politics.”
In 2021, the politician revealed his battle with a terminal illness, and he passed away in a London care facility on Tuesday night.
Lord Field had a brief tenure as Minister for Welfare Reform during Tony Blair’s initial term in government.
He was given a brief to “think the unthinkable” but the former prime minister later appeared to regret the appointment, describing Lord Field’s solutions as not so much “unthinkable” as “unfathomable”.
Paying tribute, Sir Tony said in a statement:
“Frank had integrity, intelligence and deep commitment to the causes he believed in.
“He was an independent thinker never constrained by conventional wisdom, but always pushing at the frontier of new ideas.
“Even when we disagreed, I had the utmost respect for him as a colleague and a character.”
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer expressed that Lord Field had devoted his life to advocating for the most vulnerable and described his passing as a significant loss to politics and the nation.
Labour MP Harriet Harman, who served as secretary of state for social security during Lord Field’s ministerial tenure in the department, praised him as intelligent, tenacious, and compassionate.
“At Frank’s core was the conviction that poverty was never to be accepted and could be ended,” she added.
Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting described him as “a great parliamentarian, crusader for social justice and source of wise counsel”.
“What a blessing to have known him and benefited from his advice and kindness, even as his illness gripped him,” he said.
Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle said:
“[Lord Field] was neither cowed by the establishment or whips – which made his campaigns against hunger and food poverty, for climate change and the church, even more effective.”
He added:
“Suffice to say, he was one of a kind and he will be sorely missed.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:
“Frank Field was a decent, moral, and thoughtful man.
“He was a great parliamentarian – he made our politics better and raised the level of national debate in this country.”
Lord Field had established himself as one of the most influential backbenchers in the House of Commons, championing causes such as poverty alleviation and advocating for restrictions on EU immigration.
In 2018, he severed ties with Labour’s parliamentary group, citing concerns over Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, which he deemed had fostered “antisemitism in British politics.”
Running as an independent candidate in Birkenhead during the 2019 general election, Lord Field secured second place with 17% of the vote.
Despite his departure from party politics, he was appointed as a non-affiliated, crossbench peer by the Conservative government in 2020, notably for his pro-Brexit stance.
Recognized for his long-standing service, Lord Field was honored with membership in the Order of the Companions of Honour in 2021, a distinction he deemed a tremendous privilege.
