Phil Woolas, the former Labour MP and minister, has died of brain cancer at the age of 66, his family and close friends have announced. Woolas represented Oldham East and Saddleworth in Parliament from Labour's 1997 landslide victory until 2010, serving throughout New Labour's 13 years in power.
In government, Woolas held several ministerial roles, including minister of state for local government, the environment, and borders and immigration. His family said in a statement: 'For more than a year he battled the brain cancer glioblastoma. He leaves his wife, Tracey, his sons, Josh and Jed, and a new grandson, and many friends and former colleagues who will all miss him greatly.'
Tributes came from former prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. Blair described Woolas as 'an outstanding member of the New Labour government, a greatly respected and admired colleague, and a source of both humour and rich political insight.' Brown called him 'a brilliant MP, a highly effective minister and a very generous and popular friend.'
Woolas joined Labour at 16 and was a member of the Anti-Nazi League. He served as president of the National Union of Students from 1984 to 1986, a role later held by current health secretary Wes Streeting. Before becoming an MP, he worked as a producer for BBC Newsnight and Channel 4 News, and as head of communications at the GMB union.
After leaving politics in 2010, he set up a lobbying firm and chaired the Ace Centre, an Oldham charity providing assistive technology for disabled people. His final ministerial role drew criticism for proposing strict residency conditions for Gurkhas, which were later relaxed following a campaign by figures including Joanna Lumley.
Woolas retained his seat in the 2010 general election but lost it months later after a court ruled he had made false statements about a Liberal Democrat opponent during the campaign. Labour held the seat in the subsequent by-election.
