Jack Dromey, who has died today aged 73, was a Labour MP, a trade unionist and a campaigner. He was extremely well-liked across the House of Commons: something that those who didn’t know him will have noticed immediately in the shocked tributes that have been pouring in from Westminster figures. He was a good MP, one with a clear set of political beliefs but who never let them stop him from working with those he disagreed with. He formed firm friendships with many MPs on the other side of the house, which is not something every member manages. It is a testament to the way he operated that it is difficult to distinguish the Conservative tributes to him from the Labour ones: he inspired and taught many from his own party, but Conservative ministers enjoyed his genial, constructive way of working, and he was often to be found in Portcullis House with a friendly word about the families of members and journalists alike.
It is a testament to the way he operated that it is difficult to distinguish the Conservative tributes to him from the Labour ones
He was a former Labour Party treasurer and deputy general secretary of the Transport and General Workers’ Union.
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