STORY
Roy Hattersley, the former deputy leader of the Labour Party, has died at the age of 93. He served as Labour deputy leader under Neil Kinnock from 1983 to 1992 and was a Labour MP from 1964 until 1997. After leaving the House of Commons, he was appointed to the House of Lords as Baron Hattersley of Sparkbrook.
Hattersley held ministerial office under Harold Wilson and James Callaghan, including serving as Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection from 1976 to 1979. In opposition, he held several senior shadow posts and became closely associated with Labour’s efforts during the 1980s to recover from electoral defeat, challenge the influence of the Militant tendency and move the party towards a more electorally viable position.
Alongside his political career, Hattersley was a writer, columnist and broadcaster. He wrote more than 20 books, including works of history, biography and memoir, and continued to comment on Labour politics after leaving Parliament. He was also critical of later developments in the party, including aspects of Tony Blair’s New Labour and Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership. He is survived by his wife, Maggie Pearlstine.