BBC Breakfast presenters Jon Kay and Sally Nugent paid a touching tribute to a 'kind and thoughtful' legend during the latest live broadcast. The duo honoured Lord Hattersley, a former deputy leader of the Labour Party, who passed away at the age of 93.
Jon Kay and Sally Nugent were back in the Salford studio on Monday (June 15) to bring viewers the latest news from across the UK and internationally. During the programme, Jon shared tributes following the death of Lord Hattersley, who famously held the position of deputy leader of the Labour Party under Neil Kinnock.
The Sheffield-born politician first entered Parliament in 1964 as the MP for Birmingham Sparkbrook, a role he maintained for over three decades. He held cabinet positions under James Callaghan during the 1970s and went on to become the party's deputy leader while in opposition for nine years, after their devastating loss to Margaret Thatcher's Conservatives in 1983.
'Tributes have been paid to the former deputy leader of the Labour party, Lord Hattersley, who has died at the age of 93,' Jon announced. 'The Prime Minister said he was a giant of the Labour movement. Here's our political correspondent Iain Watson to look back at his life.'
In a pre-recorded segment, Iain explained: 'They called it the dream ticket. Neil Kinnock, then from his party's left, and Roy Hattersley, from the right, came together to form the Labour leadership team after an historic defeat in 1983. The red flags were replaced by red roses. But there was also a change of substance as well as image. Unilateral disarmament and a commitment to withdraw from Europe were amongst the policies ditched.'
Iain went on: 'The Trotskyist militant tendency was expelled and Roy Hattersley hoped to help lead Labour back to power. But growing up he had rather different aspirations. He wanted to play football for Sheffield Wednesday or cricket for Yorkshire. Instead, he tackled the role of local councillor in Sheffield, then became the Labour MP for Sparkbrook in inner city Birmingham.'
The correspondent wrapped up: 'Roy Hattersley will be remembered as a Labour loyalist who fought to modernise his party, and a man unwilling to compromise his principals to advance his own career,' before a tribute card appeared on screen.
In a statement, Sir Keir Starmer said: 'Through decades of service, including as deputy leader and a minister, he never lost his belief in a more equal Britain. My thoughts are with his wife Maggie and his family.' Deputy Labour leader Lucy Powell said that Lord Hattersley had 'shaped the Labour Party and British politics'. 'He was a giant of our movement and of that generation of politicians,' she added, describing the former MP as 'kind, thoughtful and full of sound advice.' The tributes continued, as Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle said Lord Hattersley spent his life 'devoted to politics, public duty and writing'.
BBC Breakfast airs daily on BBC One at 6am.
