Sir Patrick Duffy, the former Labour MP and defence minister who was believed to be the UK's longest-living former parliamentarian, has died at the age of 105. A family friend confirmed that he passed away on 2 January after a short illness.
Duffy had a varied career in politics and public service. He served in the Fleet Air Arm during the Second World War, surviving a plane crash in the Orkney Islands. He was later knighted by Queen Elizabeth II and also received a papal knighthood from Pope John Paul II.
He first stood for Parliament in 1950 and was elected as MP for Colne Valley in a by-election in 1963. He then represented Sheffield Attercliffe from 1970 until his retirement in 1992. During the late 1970s, he served as parliamentary under-secretary for the Royal Navy under James Callaghan's government.
Kevin Meagher, who helped Duffy publish his memoirs, described him as a "living historical jukebox" for his ability to recall encounters with figures such as Clement Attlee. Meagher also noted that Duffy was the only MP to berate Margaret Thatcher in 1981 over the death of hunger striker Bobby Sands, though the two later had tea together during his time as president of the Nato Assembly in the 1980s.
In a statement released through Meagher and approved by Duffy's family, he was remembered as "an extraordinary man with a lifetime of accomplishments" and "a life well-lived". The statement added: "He will be greatly missed."
