dead Frank Field

[Ulitzer95 12,844]

As suggested...

Baroness Meacher today announced to the House of Lords that Frank Field, now known as Lord Field of Birkenhead (wiki), 79, is dying (BBC link). She revealed that he had recently spent time in a hospice and a very reliable Labour friend of mine (same source who told me Sir Gerald Kaufman was dying) says he has aggressive stage 4 cancer (though doesn't know what type of cancer).

Field started life out as a member of the Conservative Party, before defecting to Labour in 1960. He was elected as a councillor in Hounslow in 1964 and served for 4 years. He was first elected as an MP (for the constituency of Birkenhead) in 1979. He lost his seat in 2019, owing to the fact that he fell out with the Corbyn leadership of the Labour Party over anti-semitism (the "final straw" according to the man himself, though he had tensions with the party for years). He was forced to stand as an independent, but only captured over 7000 votes. He served as the Minister of Welfare Reform under Tony Blair from 1997 to 1998, his only ministerial position. In 2010, Field became the only Labour MP with a role in David Cameron's government, after being appointed "poverty tsar". He later served as Chair of the Work and Pensions Select Committee from 2015 to 2019, succeeding Dame Anne Begg. He was elevated to the House of Lords in October 2020, and he chose to sit as a non-affiliated member.

Somewhat of a legend in the world of politics, and respected on all sides of the political spectrum. Field is from a generation of Old Labour types where it was never deemed acceptable to come out as gay. He's also a firm believer in Brexit, and was one of only a handful of Labour MPs to share this view in the 2017–2019 Parliament (along with Dennis Skinner, Kate Hoey, maybe a couple of others).

In my opinion, a must for DL 2022.

[msc 18,536]

I mean, it shows you how big a name he is that within 2 hours of a friend mentioning his health in a House of Lords statement, the news made not only every major newspaper in the UK, but also the TV news, the most read article on BBC News and was the number one trending topic on Twitter in the UK. For someone who never held high office. 

 

As Canadian Paul used to say about candidates, he's famous enough and sick enough for the Deathlist.

[Gooseberry Crumble 5,361]

Am I understanding you correctly that Frank Field  is gay? I did suspect but never realised it was 'known'?

 

Great suggestion  for next year's deathlist if he holds out until then.

[Ulitzer95 12,844]

3 minutes ago, Gooseberry Crumble said:

Am I understanding you correctly that Frank Field  is gay? I did suspect but never realised it was 'known'?

 

Great suggestion  for next year's deathlist if he holds out until then.

Yes. He's of "that" generation. Interestingly, when Norman St John-Stevas died, the Guardian chose to reveal his sexuality in their obituary of him. Like Field, he was open about it with colleagues, family, friends etc, though just never publicly disclosed it. Many MPs are in the same boat. They just don't feel the need to declare it, so I don't feel like I'm "outing" him.

[RoverAndOut 4,755]

I'm not sure, from what I've read about it, that he's going to make the starting line for DL2022 in all honesty. Guess we'll see.

[The Old Crem 3,628]

 

4 minutes ago, Ulitzer95 said:

Yes. He's of "that" generation. Interestingly, when Norman St John-Stevas died, the Guardian chose to reveal his sexuality in their obituary of him. Like Field, he was open about it with colleagues, family, friends etc, though just never publicly disclosed it. Many MPs are in the same boat. They just don't feel the need to declare it, so I don't feel like I'm "outing" him.

I honestly never had a clue he was Gay. 
 

With St John-Stevas he had entered into a civil partnership shortly before his death so it was fair to reflect that in an obituary. 

[msc 18,536]

2 minutes ago, Ulitzer95 said:

Yes. He's of "that" generation. Interestingly, when Norman St John-Stevas died, the Guardian chose to reveal his sexuality in their obituary of him. Like Field, he was open about it with colleagues, family, friends etc, though just never publicly disclosed it. Many MPs are in the same boat. They just don't feel the need to declare it, so I don't feel like I'm "outing" him.

 

Ah St-John Stevas - eccentric, witty, often non-partisan (watch the 79 election where he is the first to console Shirley Williams about losing her seat), and a solid ally of the Arts and education. One of my favourite stories of his was how he got up to leave a Cabinet meeting early, pleading that he had an engagement to attend. "But I'm attending the same function!" said a bewildered Maggie Thatcher, to which Norman quickly replied "Yes, but it takes me twice as long to get ready, darling!"

Another was when a Cabinet colleague complained to him that he was a compulsive name dropper, and Norman said "You know, the Queen said that to me just yesterday!" 

[Sean 6,365]

Don`t think he will see 2022

 

 

[Sean 6,365]

Still at No 2 on the BBC most read articles

[gcreptile 11,068]

Short but intense thread.

[Captain Hemlock 748]

Not to be confused with the 98 year old American television meteorologist of the same name. 

[Bentrovato 1,104]

2 minutes ago, Captain Hemlock said:

Not to be confused with the 98 year old American television meteorologist of the same name. 

Or the patch of pastureland near me that says it as it is

[Toast 16,232]

Or this fellow.

 

 

[Clorox Bleachman 2,477]

 

20 minutes up the road; not to be confused with Frank Field, lock.

[Sean 6,365]

I wonder if he been ill a fair while as he hasn't been seen in public for a long while despite being made a Lord and being a favourite guest of TV news programmes for as far back as I can remember especially during the Brexit and Corbyn years where he was prolific in appearing on the media.

[The Old Crem 3,628]

1 hour ago, Sean said:

I wonder if he been ill a fair while as he hasn't been seen in public for a long while despite being made a Lord and being a favourite guest of TV news programmes for as far back as I can remember especially during the Brexit and Corbyn years where he was prolific in appearing on the media.

Last time he spoke in the Lords was in March - most likely it was a virtual contribution. Last time he voted was in June. 

[Spade_Cooley 9,628]

On 22/10/2021 at 22:52, Toast said:

Or this fellow.

 

 

 

I was gonna say, can we make this a bumper Frank Field/Frank Ifield thread?

[maryportfuncity 10,684]

On 22/10/2021 at 22:52, Toast said:

Or this fellow.

 

 

 

 

Alive and obitable, btw - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Ifield

[Lord Fellatio Nelson 6,224]

3 hours ago, maryportfuncity said:

 

 

Alive and obitable, btw - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Ifield

Another one I shall feel kinda sad about when he goes.

[Gooseberry Crumble 5,361]

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/new-years-honours-merseyside-heroes-22612375

 

Frank Field has been made a Lord in the Queens New Years honours list.

 

[Bibliogryphon 9,645]

Do we know how ill Frank Field is? Do we have any more detail over and above the mention in the parliamentary debate on assisted dying?

[Leon Brittan 297]

1 hour ago, Gooseberry Crumble said:

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/new-years-honours-merseyside-heroes-22612375

 

Frank Field has been made a Lord in the Queens New Years honours list.

 

Yet is left out of the list by Shane fucking Macgowan again 

[Sean 6,365]

Only shit miss by the commitee

[Salmon Mousse 473]

3 minutes ago, Sean said:

Only shit miss by the commitee

 

Benedict and Barbara Walters are nearly, if not equally, as egregious

[TQR 14,453]

Absolute fucking madness he’s not on the list.

I’m willing to bet a oner for charity with anyone on the Cmme that Field will die this year and van Dyke will not. No joke.