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Death of Michael Foot: Praise from those who knew him - Jeremy Corbyn, MP, former CND leader Bruce Kent and Tribune's Pat Haynes

Michael Foot - Man of passion... for free speech, liberty and justice

MICHAEL Foot was an icon, and the passions of his life – peace, disarmament, socialism and literature – never left him. He inspired many to think seriously about peace and justice. I was first elected to Parliament when Michael was leader, having lost the 1983 General Election, and his stoicism in the aftermath of the election is something I will always remember, as well as his passion for free speech, liberty and justice.

I always had great empathy with Michael, having been declared the worst-dressed member of the Commons myself at one time. The “suits” forced him into a suit for the 1983 election campaign. At a rally in Islington town hall I could almost feel his discomfort in one since he looked so unusual in such a garment. Soon the old Michael would return and the suit jacket took on a life of its own.

While I didn’t agree with the main thrust of his speech to the 1978 Labour Party conference, I always liked his quotation from the Joseph Conrad novel Typhoon regarding the question from a sailor of how one should deal with a storm and the reply from Captain MacWhirr: “Facing it. Always facing it.”

Michael taught us many things, but I was always impressed that he refused all honours and a peerage, and remained a constant figure at CND and peace rallies. I was proud to introduce him to speak at Hiroshima Day events year after year.

Jeremy Corbyn
Islington North Labour MP

Great integrity

I'LL remember Michael Foot for his good humour. He never bitched about those doing him down. He never went in for personal criticism. He was a man of great integrity and had a really internationalist point of view.

The reason he failed in 1983 was the fact that some people formed another party. He was made a kind of fall guy. He was ridiculed – really cruel cartoons about Wurzel Gummidge, with straw sticking out of his hair – absolute nonsense.

Bruce Kent

Former CND leader

Literary sort
HE was a decent chap, too good to be leader of the Labour Party. I was at Tribune when he got elected and we thought then it was not a good idea. He led the party through some fairly difficult times in the face of treacherous people who destroyed it.

He was a literary sort of chap. His magnum opus was his Nye Bevan biography. He gave us all copies – that was generous because they were heavy but a good read. It was a privilege to be a colleague in a very small way.

Pat Haynes

Former Tribune staff member