Hero: Michael Foot

[loy PRA]

It is with great sadnessto announce that Michael Foot passed away in North London this morning.

A deeply ethical and principled man with what proved to canny foresight, particularly in his oft criticised Labour Manifesto detailing the need to nationalise banks, have an interventionist economic policy and reduce Unemployment to under one million in five years to increase purchasing power parity. Massive sports fan, always among ordinary people - there's even a small passage in England Rugby Coach Martin Johnson's autobiography which details bumping into Foot at Twickenham as a child.

Rest In Peace Mr. Foot. It would do his legacy a lot of Justice if Brown was able to form a majority government at the next general election.

[ambersalamander]

Wot he said.

[amberaleman]

A sad loss indeed. Still, for a man who appeared so physically frail, 96 is a remarkable age to reach.

He was, of course, a staunch fan of Plymouth Argyle from his early years. No glory hunting there!

[davetscfc]

With all the above.

Can't feel sad at a 96 year old dying, but a good man and one of the first politicians I respected, should probably say one of the 'few'.

[frankiegth]

Got to echo the above sentiments.

IMHO, he would be a giant among pygmies in todays parliament.

As for the "longest suicide note ever" I wish there was a party with such a manifesto to vote for within the next three months. They'd get my X.

R.I.P. Mr Foot.

[Sultan of Cannock- SRFC]

Michael Foot was, indeed, a deeply ethical and principled man who strode the UK political scene like a colossus during my childhood and teenage years, when i was a strong Labour supporter.

Notably for me, he was amongst the leaders of the "NO" campaign for the referendum we had on membership of the Common Market as it was then called back in 1975. Sadly, it was a cause that we were to lose and we are still losing to this day.

Honest and principled as he was, though, Michael Foot was wrong in his analysis after we were defeated by Maggie in 1979. When Labour split, he failed to realise that he was leading us back down the path which had left us struggling behind our competitors, going cap-in-hand to the IMF and caused the voters to desert us in droves back in 1979.

I prefer to remember Michael Foot at his best, as an orator. As a government supporter back then, my chin was really on the floor as we'd been bashed by the winter of discontent, economic gloom and the resurgence of the Conservatives. Then came the confidence motion that ultimately brought down the Callaghan government. The debate was carried live on Radio 4 VHF and Michael Foot was at his brilliant best that night. I can't recall being as electrified and carried along by a political speech before or since. For a while at least, i was fired up and back in the Labour fold.

A more fitting tribute to Michael Foot would be not the return of the most incompetent government and the worst prime minister that i can recall living under since Ted Heath's Tories, but rather the election to Parliament of new, honest, principled MP's of whatever political stripe in the Michael Foot mould, with beliefs, ideas and the ability to inspire people.

Rest in peace, comrade Foot. You were a good 'un!