David Winnick, who also served as MP for Croydon South from 1966 to 1970, died on Wednesday. He was the West Midlands' longest serving MP when he lost his seat to Conservative Eddie Hughes in the 2017 general election. In Parliament, Winnick supported the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and British interventions in Kuwait and Bosnia, but he successfully led opposition to a Blair government proposal to hold terrorist suspects for up to 90 days without charge in 2005.
His amendment limited detention without charge to 28 days, and the vote against the terror bill marked the first defeat for the Labour government after nine years in power. He also opposed plans to introduce identity cards. Tributes have poured in from political figures.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons, said Winnick was a dedicated member of the British-Irish Assembly, including its co-chair. Matt Ward, leader of the Labour group on Walsall Council, described him as a dedicated MP who always did his utmost to help people and was respected by many constituents. Simran Cheema, a Labour representative for Willenhall South, described Winnick as an incredible MP for Willenhall and Bloxwich who truly stood up for the area and its residents, noting that he often traveled on buses wherever he went.
Born in Brighton into a Jewish family, Winnick's mother left home when he was eight. His childhood and schooling were disrupted by wartime evacuation to Northamptonshire, and he later obtained a diploma in social administration from the London School of Economics.