Phil Woolas, who served as MP for Oldham West and Saddleworth from 1997 until 2010, held several ministerial posts under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. He served as deputy Commons leader and a local government minister under Blair, and as an environment minister and immigration minister under Brown. Woolas held his seat by just 103 votes in 2010. His political career ended in controversy and disgrace when a court ruled he had broken electoral law by deliberately making false statements about his Liberal Democrat opponent.
Before entering politics, Woolas joined the Labour party at age 16 and was president of the National Union of Students from 1984 to 1986. He worked as a TV producer before becoming head of communications for the GMB union. In 1996, he masterminded a union stunt involving a live pig named Cedric to protest a pay rise for British Gas boss Cedric Brown. Woolas unsuccessfully fought the Littleborough and Saddleworth by-election in 1995 before being elected in the 1997 Blair landslide.
I have met Mr Woolas now and I am reassured again. Because I know we are going to assist Mr Woolas in making the strongest guidelines possible.
One of Woolas's most public controversies came in 2009 when, as an immigration minister in the Home Office, he clashed with actress and campaigner Joanna Lumley over proposals to restrict the rights of retired Gurkhas to settle in the UK. The government suffered a humiliating defeat on the Gurkhas proposals in the Commons, with Labour rebels joining Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs. Woolas and Lumley held a joint news conference that descended into chaos, broadcast live on Sky News and other channels.
Despite their public confrontation, Woolas and Lumley went on to become friends after their TV clash. Gordon Brown received a letter from Joanna Lumley describing Phil Woolas as 'so kind and friendly' and 'very funny'.
Phil Woolas was steadfast: he was courageous, he was an innovator and he was a motivator. You always knew where you stand with Phil. He was great fun and great company I remember once after a poor Prime Minister’s Question I was frazzled and we were in my office. There was an array of whisky bottles and Phil said to me: ‘are you drinking them or are you signing them!' He added: 'Phil was taken from us much too soon but what can't be taken from us is the spirit he left behind.'
Woolas died from glioblastoma on 14 March. His funeral featured a coffin adorned with a red Manchester United shirt.