More tributesAll the staff at ASH would like to pay tribute to David. He was a kind and generous man, and a much loved and respected advocate for public health, fearless in his pursuit of the things he believed in. Our thoughts are with his family and I hope it can be some small consolation for them to know that David was admired as a man of great honour and a wise and willing adviser to those who sought his help. We will miss him greatly. Deborah Arnott, Action on Smoking and Health, London I am deeply saddened to hear of the loss of David, he has been an invaluable alley and provided great support to me over the years and he has been involved in a number of issues in Measham. I can say without doubt that he is a true gentleman and I will greatly miss his support. If you could pass on my personal condolences to his family, he will be greatly missed but never forgotten. PC 653 Stuart Davis We were shocked when we heard the news about David. He was a person who made a difference to peoples lives and will be very much missed. He did everything to help me and i will be forever grateful. Please pass on our condolences to his family. Susan Barber I am most upset at hearing the sad news of Davids passing on Boxing Day. Leicestershire has been very well served by him. His unassuming manner belied a strong and determined man who saw his role as purely that of representing his constituents, whether they voted for him or not, a role he fulfilled extremely well. My sincere and heartfelt condolences to everyone at the office and please pass my regards to his wife and family. Steve Greenhalgh I was shocked to hear about the untimely, sudden and tragic death of Mr.David Taylor.It seemed incredible at first but it was true. Having lived in Heather we regard ourselves as friends and neighbours and are deeply shocked to hear this saddening news about a person who has spent so much of his time working to help the local Community and Country. Ron & Shirley Siveyer I was really saddened to hear about David over the holidays. I really just wanted to pass on my respects and say that we at Big Lottery Fund always found David to be supportive, interested in our work and constantly looking for ways his constituents could benefit from our Lottery funding. It was clear he had his constituents at the heart of everything he did. As an MP I think he was one of the best and he will be missed. Mick McGrath I was devastated to hear of Davids sudden death - I realise it is a bit pointless to say that he was an excellent person who will be sadly missed but I had to say it anyway. Tim Schadla-Hall On behalf of Trudie Lobban MBE and the Arrhythmia Alliance, please accept our deepest sympathies on the sad loss of David Taylor. With hope that his family and friends find comfort in their memories. I was very much saddened to hear of the death of Mr Taylor. Although we were not of the same political persuasion I always found him most helpful and sympathetic to any issues I raised with him. He was the best MP this constituency has had in my memory of any party and he will be sadly missed and certainly a hard act to follow. Could you please pass on my condolencies to his family and may he rest in peace. David Butler Just a quick note from all of us who have worked with David over the years from the Friends of the Earth head office in London. David was a stalwart supporter of many campaigns and proposals to protect the environment, and particularly to prevent climate change. If he thought it the right thing to do, David was never afraid to speak out, or add his name to motions that made life difficult for the leadership of his own party. Parliament woul be a much more effective place with more independent and thoughtful MPs like David. Our thoughts are with his family, who will miss him most of all. Martyn Williams There is no-one I admired more than David. He was a dedicated, able and active MP. He showed everyone what a back-bench MP can achieve via an extensive and intelligent use of the formal and informal avenues that are open to them. He was a committed democratic socialist who cared deeply about the well-being of his constituents and for underprivileged people throughout the world. In 2007 he won the award of "Commons Backbencher of the Year" on the vote of his fellow MPs. Yet as a non-doctrinaire member of the Socialist Campaign Group he was not a natural for such a recognition. It was his dedication and serious intent (often with a tinge of humour) which came to impress those around him, many of whom did not share all of his deeply held views. I had been lucky to be amongst those who not only admired his dedication and commitment, but also shared his general outlook on life and politics. I met him before he became an MP, saw his impressive and regular output in the Commons when we were fellow members between 1997 and 2005 and only recently spoke to him at St. Pancras Station in passing as he rushed to catch his train back to Leicester. For he was always as active in his Leicestershire Constituency as he was in the Commons. If Parliament is to restore its reputation then we need MPs who follow the example he has left behind him. Harry Barnes The team at Cancer Research UK were saddened to learn of David Taylor's death and our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time. We have worked with David on so many occasions on tobacco control issues and he was an outstanding spokesman in parliament in support of this issue. His support for smokefree workplaces and more recently the tobacco control aspects of the Health Bill made a very substantial impact. David will long be remembered for his work on tobacco control and the real difference his work has made to the lives of so many people. Jean King, Director of Tobacco Control, Cancer Research UK I write to express my sincere condolences to the colleagues, friends and family of David Taylor MP, whom I came to know having contacted him last year to ask for his support for the Royal British Legion's 'Honour the Covenant' Campaign, which aims to recognise the unique contribution made by members of the armed forces. I wrote to every local MP in Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire and many replied with personal letters expressing support. However, only Mr Taylor contacted me to ask if we could meet so that he could find out more. This resulted in an extremely productive meeting at his constituency office and the warmth and enthusiasm of his support for the Legion's work, then and subsequently, was most gratifying. He will be sadly missed across the county of Leicestershire, as well as nationally. Richard Foster On behalf of the chairman Keith Bott and members of British Beer and Pub Association Midland Counties can I express my deepest sympathy following the sudden and untimely death of David Taylor MP on Boxing Day. Members of the Association have met David on a number of occasions and have always found him to be most helpful. In fact I think it was in June 2008 that we last met David at the Cricketers in Leicester and as normal we found him to be most knowledgeable on industry matters and willing to help where he could. His award of Commons Backbencher of the Year in 2007 was certainly richly deserved and his contributions to the parliamentary process will be sorely missed. We would like to take this opportunity of expressing our sympathy to David's widow Pam and his daughters.Richard Matthews Regional Secretary, British Beer and Pub Association Midland Counties On behalf of the people of Osgathorpe may I express our deepest sympathy to David’s family. David was a hard working true man of the people, always responsive to local issues and always available for consultation. He visited Osgathorpe on numerous occasions to attend village events and will forever be respected for the time, advice and encouragement that he gave to his constituents. David will be sadly missed. Martin Buczkiewicz, Chair, Osgathorpe Parish Council Unfortunately the New Year brings some sad tidings for the pro-life All Party Parliamentary Group. David was a stalwart of the group and one of its most active members who was always willing to help out, despite being an extremely busy MP involved with many other committees and causes. He will be sorely missed by all those inside and outside Parliament who had the pleasure of working with him. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones. Julia Capps, Clerk, All Party Parliamentary Pro-Life Group I would just like to send my deepest and sincere condolences to David's wife and daughters. The respect I hold for David is immense and news of his death has come not only as a great shock but also has left me feeling numb. I often spoke to David when he was 'out and about' in Ravenstone and had many a conversation over a pint. David was a true gentleman, a true socialist and a man of the deepest integrity with a great sense of humour. There are few people who stand up for what they honestly believe and stick to their principles and David was one of those few. He devoted himself to the people of NWLeicestershire working tirelessly on their behalf. He will be deeply missed. Andrew Holland
David was mentioned to me as someone who might take an interest in the work of Local Authority Building Control so I contacted him and met him a couple of times last year. We had quite a bit of common ground and it was very easy to develop a friendly relationship. Although he had told me that he intended to stand down at the next election, he certainly wasn't winding down. I was enormously impressed by his willingness to understand the issues and offer advice on how best to pursue them and I am so sorry, and shocked, to hear of his untimely death. I know that in offering my own sympathy, I can do so on behalf of LABC as well, so if you could pass them on to his family we would be grateful. Peter Kent While all the tributes were well intentioned, few captured the unique essence of David’s pioneering work. Yes he was certainly ‘hard-working’. So are many MPs. But David’s work was splendidly unique. He added wit, bite and originality to his campaigns and speeches. He used language in daring ways that no other MP would dare to imitate. I look forward to trawling thorough hundreds of his questions to find examples of the audacious use of words that made me gasp when I heard them in the Chamber for the first time. It was his fellow MPs who voted him the Backbencher of the Year in 2007. There is no higher accolade than that given by our fellow workers in the craft of political change. They recognised his purity of purpose. He was never what Tony Wright called a ‘When?’ politician, seeking when he was going to get a job, get promotion or a prized favour. David was a ‘Why?’ MP, asking why is that happening? Why can’t it be improved? Why are we repeating errors? Ambition or ministerial office never captured his interest. He pursued the higher aims of reform. He earned the gratitude of animal welfare and anti-smoking groups for his parliamentary leadership of their campaigns. He never sought self-aggrandisement or empty publicity but drew satisfaction from worthwhile reforms. He was hurt in the last twelve months by off-target grotesquely unfair criticism. To counter the debased image of MPs, there is no finer example than David Taylor as a model parliamentarian. Paul Flynn MP May I offer my heartfelt condolences on the sad and cruel loss of our MP David Taylor.He was always a great help to me when I served on Breedon Parish Council and never failed to help in our village concerns over quarrying, and community issues.He gave his all to all our communty and we'll miss him dreadfully. Whoever met him for however a brief time, felt they'd made a friend and champion for life. We were so sorry to hear about the loss of David. It must have been a terrible shock for his family and for those of you who worked with him. He was such a good MP and we at Christian Aid are so grateful for all of the support that he gave us over the years in the name of fighting international poverty. He will be hugely missed in parliament. With much sympathy, Melanie Ward, Christian Aid We were all so sorry and shocked to hear of David's death over the Christmas period - please extend our deepest sympathies to his family and staff alike. Alison Adkin, Save Moira Fire Station Action Group I first met David when he invited me to brief him on the progress of 30 children at Moira Infant, Burton Road, Donisthorpe and Oakthorpe schools in 2005. The children and teachers were re-evaluating for the DfES a failed experiment in maths education that had been carried out in Leicestershire in the 1960s. David was extraordinarily well informed about the history of mathematics. Thereafter, when we corresponded and met at the House of Commons he took a close interest in what the children, teachers and school governors were learning. The research programme's alumni are now at Ivanhoe College and David was looking forward to welcoming them at his old school, Ashby, where he was serving as a Governor. There are very few MP's with David's knowledge of computing, mathematics and labour's struggle for democracy. He will be sadly missed by the teachers, parents and children of the Stanford Tizard programme. Ian Benson I just wanted to join the tributes to David Taylor. I know, as so many others do, how involved he was prepared to get in local issues from personal experience. Having lived all over the country in the past, I can honestly say that I have never been so impressed with my local MP before. I think he is an enormous loss to our area and I can only imagine what a terrible loss he must be to his family. My thoughts are with them. Chris Fraser My wife and I are tremendously sad at David's untimely passing. We knew David as a great friend and neighbour here in Heather, and we shall miss him very much indeed. Such was his instinctive beneficence to all his constituents, he never made matters of party allegiance a determining factor - he showed the same approachability and readiness to help to everyone on equal terms. Our immediate thoughts are of course with his wife Pam and their daughters, to whom we extend our sincerest condolences. David was extremely supportive of the work I have endeavoured to pursue locally during the past 18 years or so in the field of arts and cultural events, in particular the development of the Heather Music Festival and also the annual series of classical concerts that I presented through my organisation known as Mercia Arts. These concerts - which ended temporarily in 2008 - were held as part of the music festival in Heather Parish Church, with which, of course, David had a lifelong association. While the following is understandably a matter for future consideration at a more propitious time, I would nonetheless like to propose that in due course we inaugurate a biennial classical concert dedicated to David's memory that perhaps could be staged at various churches throughout North West Leicestershire. I would like to think that this might be one of a number of very fitting ways we could remember this exceptional man. I found David always to be very decent, kind and and generous, and - as has been rightly recognised by so many other people who knew him and worked with him - he was extraordinarliy dedicated to his work as our MP, and in this he carried out his duties with a degree of diligence and perseverance I shall always recall with the greatest admiration and thanks. Simon Nickerson All the members of staff and trustees of the Building and Social Housing Foundation were very sorry to hear of David’s death. Not only was David an excellent constituency MP, attending a range of events that we organised locally, but was also extremely supportive of our UK housing policy and practice research. He came to our office only a month or so before Christmas to advise on possible parliamentary channels for our current work on the future of housing in the UK. I know that our appreciation of his time and interest will be reflected by so many others in the constituency. My fondest memory of David is of his attending a National Forest tree-planting event on our land with local school children in Whitwick in 2001. On a cold but sunny December day, after a month of incessant rain, he explained to the children that one of the lesser known privileges of being an MP was that you were allowed to choose the weather on three days a year and he had used one of his three days to ensure we could plant the tress in the dry. I am sure that all the children, and possibly a few of the adults attending, believed him completely! I would ask that you pass on our very best wishes to David’s family. We were discussing his future plans when we last met and he was looking forward very much to this new stage of his life. It is such a terrible pity that he was taken too early to enjoy seeing those plans come to fruition. Diane Deacon, Director, Building and Social Housing Foundation He was an enthusiastic supporter of the current efforts being made to restore the northern reaches of the Ashby Canal, being keenly aware of the economic and social benefits which which the canal restoration will bring. He always personally supported our Association's activities, and used his influence in the appropriate parliamentary quarters, whenever he could, to further our aims. We will miss him greatly as a member and supporter. We send our condolences to his wife and family John Roddis, on behalf of the management committee of Ashby Canal Association Our sincere condolences go to Mr Taylor MP’S Wife and family following his tragic demise on Boxing Day. We had the good fortune to meet him a number of times, mainly when he was visiting my father in laws (John and Cynthia Moseley) open garden in Coleorton. He was always very pleasant and cheerful, and a good supporter of these charitable events and of course a good honest Member of Parliament. The McCulloch family, Oxfordshire My condolences to the family of David Taylor on the loss of this fine MP. I am sure he served his constituency well. Richard Melville,Texas USA I would like to take this opportunity to send my condolences to the family and friends of David Taylor. I have been very impressed with the work that David Taylor carried out here in NW Leicestershire and in Parliament. He was a very honest and scrupulous politician setting high standards in Westminster. He will be missed. Sharon Leake I am devastated to learn of David's premature death. It is nothing short of tragic and sadly no amount of condolences will bring him back. I have the greatest respect and admiration for him, he was like a beacon in a storm. He could always be relied on to help his constituents whatever their political leanings. He was one of the most hardworking reliable tenacious people one could hope to meet. His integrity was beyond doubt, he has helped me in many ways not least of which was by the example he set to other MP's and local politicians, thus helping me to have some faith in our system. Unfortunately I fear that he will be very difficult to replace there are few people like him. Can I express my sincere condolences to you all and especially to David’s wife Pam and his Daughters? I had the pleasure of meeting David on a number of occasions and have to say quite unreservedly that he was by far the best Member of Parliament, whatever your political views, that North West Leicestershire has ever had. He was a wonderful person and we are all grateful that he allowed us to share in his life. Les Gray At UNISON we were all very sorry to hear the sad news about David, he was one of the most helpful and supportive MPs in the UNISON group and will be very much missed. Daniel Zeichner, UNISON Labour Link Policy & Campaigns Officer On behalf of the Trustees of the North West Leicestershire Homeless Project and myself as its Co-ordinator, I wish to convey both to Mrs Taylor and her family and to all Mr Taylor’s employees, our deep sadness and great regret at the news of his untimely death. He was always a strong supporter of the work of the Project and a very good and mutually beneficial relationship existed with all of you at the office, which was much appreciated. In our experience David was unfailingly courteous and helpful in dealing with the difficulties faced by constituents and would always go the extra mile in endeavouring to help them. He showed particular concern for those who were disadvantaged or underprivileged in any way. As well as being a huge loss on a personal level to his family, colleagues and friends, he will be greatly missed by the people of North West Leicestershire whom he represented so faithfully. On a personal level, may I add how impressed I was by his widespread interest in everything which happened within his constituency and his remarkable record of attendance at local functions. He was always friendly and encouraging and was also meticulous in keeping one informed about progress relating to any particular issue which had been raised with him and on which he was able to take some action or make some enquiries. I am sure that there will be very few MPs who have gained the same high degree of respect and affection from those of all parties, whether naturally Labour voters or not, which David did in carrying out his parliamentary and constituency roles, The tributes – and I am sure that there are very very many – which you receive will undoubtedly be genuine and spoken from the heart, and not merely uttered out of politeness and convention. The Trustees and I wish to extend our every sympathy to all those close to David. He was an outstanding person and will not be forgotten. Lesley S Birtwistle Project Co-ordinator I was very sad to hear that David had died so tragically during the Christmas period. I didn't know him very well - I came across him when I previously ran a parliamentary group on waste management. As part of a core group of dedicated MPs, David supported me and attended our events when we were just a few crackpot voices around Parliament saying that climate change was an urgent priority and that waste management was a great way to get people to think about their impact upon and responsiblity to the planet. It's a very special type of person who will dedicate themselves to the unloved issues and for me the lifeblood of the Labour movement is people like David commiting themselves to supporting campaigns to change people's views of the world to protect and support a greater good. My very best wishes to his family and team during what must be an incredibly difficult period. His constituents will surely find it hard, if not impossible, to find someone as dedicated as David to represent them in future. Clare Coghill My husband and I wish to express our deepest sympathy to the family, friends and colleagues of the late David Taylor MP. We were stunned and saddened to hear the news of his sudden passing. Whilst we had only had little contact with David Taylor, he was a hard-working and dedicated MP who clearly held his constituents in great importance. We are very saddened that David Taylor did not get to enjoy his immiment and well-deserved retirement. With our sincerest condolences, Rebecca and Adrian Packington I am distraught that the weather stopped me arriving for David’s funeral. I wanted to express my respects to a valued comrade and a man who I much admired and liked. Westminster will certainly not be the same without his humour and decency. He was fun to be around and, as a Parliamentarian, an example of how to do it without forgoing all principles. My sincere condolences to his family and especially his widow after this shocking loss. Mike Wood MP This is just a short note to pass on my condolences following the death of David. I was very sorry to hear the news on the radio as I returned from a Christmas break. For me it ranks as one of the most upsetting pieces of news that I have ever heard on the radio. David was great guy who helped me when I needed it and was one of the few politicians that I really respected. NWL is a poorer place without David. Rod Theaker I attended David’s funeral today and wanted to pass on my sincere condolences. I first met David when I joined Heather Parish Council. At the time, the council was struggling to survive for lack of volunteers and David was acting Chairman. It is testament to his commitment to this village that he took on this role in addition to all his other work, to ensure our village representation was maintained. Although I am no longer a member of the council, I know that it continues to thrive. I work for a brewing company and have contacted David several times on matters concerning our industry. He always responded promptly and personally. We didn’t always agree, but I valued his opinions and his support for British beer and the British pub. Animal welfare is another interest that we shared and I recall a picture in the local paper, about 7 years ago, of David’s visit to the RSPCA Woodside Centre. He was holding a pup that had been abandoned in Leicester City Centre. Why do I remember it so well? Because as a result, my husband and I visited the centre a few days later and adopted her! I would just like to pay my respects to David, I did not really know him, but admired him from a distance, over the years. though he must have been around Coalville when i went to Bridge Rd.Sec.Mod.in the mid fifties.our paths may have crossed. David Harry Fessey What sad news about David – I was with him at the Gala dinner in Packington in mid December and he looked so well. What a shock for Pam and the girls. He will be greatly missed. I not only used to see him from a work point of view but he was regularly at the Nursing Home in Castle Donington to chat to everyone. The two things that I will remember most were his wonderful memory – he never seemed to forget a name and also that we was seen everywhere in the area. There was never an event that he did not attend – wonderful for us but maybe not do for his family. How wonderful that so many people turned out to say farewell to David. It was a very moving service and we were all able to say our goodbyes in so many different ways. He was a wonderful family man, friend and colleague, who I feel will always be remembered for his unselfish and unstinting love of not only his family, but of all that knew him. He is now at peace with his son. Rosie McConachie Neither of us are natural Labour supporters and so it would be unlikely that we would find David Taylor to our liking when we moved into Castle Donington some 11 years ago. What we found was a man who was very generous of his time in supporting the village and the surrounding region, irrespective of the views of his party seniors. It was wonderful to see him out and about in his constituency where he was always keen to discuss the issues of the day; unlike many other MPs, it was not a case of going to his surgery as he could often be found in the local area. He put his constituents first and was very knowledgeable on all matters affecting the region from farming and the countryside to industry and the airport. David will be sorely missed and we are sad at his passing at such a young age and before he could pass on his wisdom and guidance to his replacement. God speed. Martin and Gill Schofield I was extremely shocked to learn of David's death which saddened me amongst the season festivities. From the messages of condolence I have read, there is certainly a common theme - that David was an extremely caring, assiduous and well-principled man. Although it was a few years ago since I undertook an internship in his office, I remember it well. It was remarkable how he endeavoured to help and support constitutents on such a wide range of matters. I also remember when David and I drove from Leicestershire to his Parliamentary Office in Westminster. His hard-working nature was illustrated when he mentioned that he would pick me up the following day, at 5.30. Initially, I thought he meant the evening, but then realised it was the morning - so he could complete a full days work in London - and then attend a meeting that same evening! I felt privileged to have worked with David that summer. He was a distinguished character in the world of politics, yet amazingly humble. I met David in Portcullis House last year. I mentioned to him that I am keen to someday establish myself as an MP - a feeling that has not abated. There is much I have learnt from my time with David, and I would ultimately like to dovetail my legal career with one of politics. One of the last things David had said to me was along the lines of, 'being an MP is simply about helping people - understanding their local issues, while being able to see the bigger picture'. He was a man with abounding commonsense and selflessness. Please pass on my condolences to his family. Duncan McHardy It is difficult to add any meaningful words to the wonderful tributes which have already been left for David Taylor. He was my MP and I have been the constituent of many MPs at various locations in the UK. However, Mr Taylor was an MP like no other. I wrote to him many times on issues very close to my heart and he not only answered every one, he researched every answer. He followed up his letters with further research and support, sometimes many months later, proving that he never let an issue drop until he had done everything to support that issue. Each time I saw him and spoke to him at local events he remembered my name and my concerns. As his family have said in their moving tributes, he was a man of principle, loyal to his beliefs and respectful of those of others. He was truly a unique person. He will be so very missed by those of us who came to know him. He is a dreadful loss to his family and to all of us who try to live an ethical life of compassion, respect for life and for justice in all things. He is irreplaceable. It's a tragedy. All my heartfelt wishes to Mr Taylor's family and friends. A grateful Constituent Susan Sutton Both personally and on behalf of the members of the Ramblers Association locally I would like to express my sorrow at the untimely death of this highly respected ‘gentleman’ and our sympathies to his family. During my period as Chair of the Leicestershire & Rutland Area, David has been our President and has been very supportive both to me in my own role and to the aims and ambitions of all walkers and lovers of the countryside. Much has and will be said elsewhere about his energy and commitment to the many causes be supported and all I can add is that nothing was ever too much trouble. I recall occasions when he has caught the train back from the house on a Thursday evening and dashed to join one of our meetings before going home. David loved the Leicestershire countryside and enjoyed walking about it whenever he had the opportunity. Enjoy walking the ultimate uplands now David, Thank You. Roy Denney Chairman L&R Ramblers I am both shocked and saddened by the news of the sad and untimely death of David. I worked with him on a number of committees and know how hard he worked for his constituents and for the Labour cause. I send my sincere condolences and hope that the knowledge that his friends are thinking of you all at this difficult time will be of some comfort. Baroness Gibson of Market Rasen OBE I am so sorry to hear the news of Mr Taylor's unexpected death. Please pass on our condolences to his family and friends at this difficult time. With sympathy Bethany Cradick, Oxford Union I would just like to register how sorry I was to hear of David Taylor's passing last month. Although I have lived in Bedfordshire for many years now, I was brought up in Coalville and my family all still live in the area. I know from them just what an exceptional and hard-working MP he was for NW Leicestershire. We will miss him. Andrew Gregory The sad news of David's passing reached me here in Australia. Please allow me to add my condolences and tribute alongside the numerous already received. Paul Flynn's touching record of the funeral. What a wonderful hardworking selfless man he was and such a loss to the whole local community. So many of us are so sad that he is no longer with us and his family He was so exceptional in his devotion to others. God bless Pam Bradshaw Whether it was at the refurbushment celebrations of a Scout HQ, getting his hands dirty with cubs tree planting in the National Forest,at the annual District St.George's Day celebrations, or giving help to scouts in their efforts to succeed in another personal challenge, David was always there. He will be sorely missed. Ashby and Coalville District Scout Group I was shocked and saddened to hear about David Taylor's sudden death. I remember David from my time working in the County Treasurer's Department at Leicestershire County Council. David was always very kind whenever I had dealings with him and was particularly helpful when I was gathering data for my final year project. What I chiefly remember David for is that he always had a smile on his face. Please pass on my condolences to his wife and family. Liz McNeill Smokefree North West sends heartfelt condolences to the family of David Taylor – the Labour MP for NW Leicestershire who died last month. We wish to pay tribute to his tireless and effective campaigning for effective tobacco control policy in this country, which has been so valued here in the North West . David was a selfless man, who worked effectively with colleagues in and outside the House in a modest and unfailingly polite manner. We will not forget the major contribution he made to bringing in smokefree workplaces and public places in England , in legislating to protect children from tobacco industry marketing, and in campaigning for a long term comprehensive tobacco control strategy. These measures will help to make smoking history for the children and young people of this country – and will have a major impact on the health of generations yet to be born. Dr Janet Atherton, Chair, Smokefree North West David was a key member of the Save the Pub All Party Parliamentary Group and an enthusiastic advocate of pubs. He will be sadly missed by all who knew him. Greg Mulholland MP May I express my deep sympathy at the loss of Mr David Taylor. On each of the four occasions that I have written to him on matters of humanitarian interest, I have received a courteous, well-considered reply showing real concern for the underprivileged. he was an exceptional, ultra-concientious MP and a man of Christian integrity - a hard acto to follow. May he rest in peace. Hazel Hudson A close friend lives in North West Leicestershire and communicated with David many times to express his concerns and seek action. I heard of David through his tireless energy to be an excellent MP, always writing back to his constituents, acting on what he had heard and showing his good sense and commitment. I was a parliamentary candidate in my own constituency, in 1997 and had I been elected I would have liked to be as good a constituency MP as he was. It seems so unfair that after 13 years of such tireless work, and on the home straight, he should have been taken from his wife and family who so richly deserved plentiful time with him after his retirement. I am so sorry that this happened. Celia Wilson, Oxfordshire All of us appreciated his support and his visits to us greatly. He will be much missed by many people, and we pass on our sincere condolences as well as our thanks for all his support for us. Stephen Ward, Whitwick/Thringstone Churches Just wanted to pass on my condolences for the sad death of David Taylor. He'll be sadly missed both here an Leicestershire and at Parliament too. We bumped into him in Coalville just before Christmas and shared few brief words and I have to say that my whole family were shocked at the news, especially my eldest daughter whom David had personally helped a couple of years ago. Please pass on our sincere condolences to his family. Steve Davis David was a great bloke and really deserved to enjoy some quality years with his family beyond his ‘hard time’ served looking out for others in Parliament. I will always remember him for the help and support he gave us not to mention his kind words describing Quiet Storm at last years conference. Steve Megson, Quiet Storm I was deeply saddened to learn of David's death, both at a personal level and on behalf of the University. David was a great friend of the University and will be greatly missed by the whole community. Professor Sir Robert Burgess, Vice-Chancellor, Leicester University With David’s death we have lost the first person who raised the flag of protest over the Minorca proposal. On 11th August 2008 The Burton Mail published a news story about David with the headline “MP: I’ll fight opencast plans.” In the news story David is reported as saying “Enough is enough; this plan ought to be resisted and I plan to work with those who will want to oppose it as vigorously as I can”
“With 800 million tonnes of coal in north-east Leicestershire ready to be extracted, I would be the first to support the advance of clean coal technology, but does the Secretary of State recognise that in the interim, there is a risk of an expansion of open-cast coal, which is one of the most environmentally damaging activities that we can see in the midlands of England? That should be headed off, should it not? Edward Miliband (Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change; Doncaster North, Labour) It is important to say that the position on open-cast mining has not changed and the planning guidance has not changed. The Government's position is as it has been. It is for that planning guidance to be properly interpreted.”
I was very sorry indeed to learn just now that David Taylor died suddenly on 27th December. I knew him because I provide the secretariat for two All Party Groups he was involved in – the Parliamentary Food and Health Forum and the Associate Parliamentary Corporate Responsibility Group – and admired his independent-minded and thoughtful approach to politics. He will be much missed. Patricia Constant A Personal Remembrance And so reality bites. The initial shock wears off, time begins to take the edge off the tears and grief and the staff are left with the sad task of winding up the offices. Its life, Jim, but not as we knew it. Both around North West Leicestershire and at Westminster, the familiar face of the late and much-lamented David Taylor MP is conspicuous by its absence. David didn’t just remember his roots, he was still attached to them. He could never have been a career politician touting himself around constituencies looking for a candidacy – it had to be his own local area. Being our MP was a vocation for him. For a council house kid who had risen to tread the corridors of power at Parliament with such distinction, David was no egotist. If he was here to read the many warm and sincere tributes which have been made about him by so many people and organisations, I’m sure that he would be squirming with embarrassment. When asked why he became an MP, he would often give the tongue-in-cheek reply that it had been to get out of doing the gardening and that the height of his political ambition was to become ‘Minister for Allotments’. David had the happy knack - for a politician - of getting people to warm to him. I particularly remember a visit to Coalville Community Hospital when he went up to a bed-ridden old lady, fixed her with a quizzical look and asked “Was I at school with you?” Another DT fan had just been recruited! But if I ever referred to grateful constituents as members of his fan club, he would give a dismissive reply that on last count, membership had totalled two grannies and a dog. I really don’t think he appreciated the high esteem in which he was held by so many people. He was particularly good with children. In her own tribute posted on David’s website, Diane Deacon, Director of the Building and Social Housing Foundation, remembers a lovely anecdote about David attending a National Forest tree-planting event on their land with local school children in Whitwick in 2001. On a cold but sunny December day, after a month of incessant rain, he explained to the children that one of the lesser known privileges of being an MP was that you were allowed to choose the weather on three days a year and he had used one of his three days to ensure they could plant the trees in the dry. She was sure that all the children, and possibly a few of the adults attending, believed him completely! One of David’s personal foibles was his love of alliteration. Any policies he didn’t agree with would invariably be condemned as ‘fundamentally flawed’, and one can only wonder at the looks on the faces of his parliamentary colleagues when he made his classic reference in the House to ‘football fans being forever fleeced by flaky foreign financiers’. In Parliament, he was well known to the Whip’s Office as something of a rebel – he preferred ‘independent minded’ – and would occasionally drive them to distraction by voting on certain issues in both the ‘aye’ and ‘no’ lobbies. He hadn’t lost hos marbles, he just wanted to record his ‘positive abstention’ and this was the only way. Simply not voting wasn’t acceptable to him - people might have thought he wasn’t there or couldn’t be bothered. David worked hard, and wanted constituents to know that he was there fighting all the way for their interests. So keen was he to show he was giving them value for money, in 2004 he offered any constituent who thought he wasn’t doing a good job a refund which he calculated as equating to £5 per head based on his salary and expenses. All he asked for was a good reason for the claim - he didn’t get many takers. On another occasion, he didn’t agree with a pay increase which MPs had awarded themselves and so donated his to charity. David didn’t take the dignity of his office too seriously. If dressing up could get a cause he supported some media attention he was up for it. Posing as Santa to highlight hearing loss, wearing the wrong trousers for the Children’s Foundation or some oversize specs for bowel cancer. The number of raffle prizes he won didn’t mean that David was a particularly lucky man, it was more of a tribute to the shed loads of raffle tickets he bought as he visited as many local events as he could. And no-one who asked for a raffle prize ever went empty handed. And all out of his own pocket. So much for the ‘they’re all at it’ expenses headlines which did take their toll on him. I wish I had a pound for every phone call and e-mail which started ‘I know David’. We all thought we did, though I suspect we only knew as much about this hugely intelligent and multi-faceted man as he was prepared to show us. The council estate kid, the youthful stamp collector, the Ashby Grammar pupil who took his GCEs ahead of his time and could have gone to Oxford, the accountant turned computer manager, the Open University graduate, Christian, cricketer, cyclist, marathon runner, rambler, white-knuckle ride driver, parish and district councillor, parliamentary candidate, MP, husband, dad, granddad, campaigner on a host of local and national issues – and a lot more besides. Those of us who worked closely with him could see that the job was grinding him down, but he continued to do it the only way he knew how – with total commitment. He hadn’t got it in him to slow down and he wasn’t good at delegating. And yes, there were death threats and increasing abuse from people who thought he had a magic wand with which to grant their every wish. No MP does. Thoughts are now turning to ways in which we can commemorate the life of this very special man. I’ll be posting them on his website at www.davidtaylormp.com which is staying live for a few more weeks. One of them is going to be a Memorial Walk open to all organised by the Ramblers’ Association in honour of their late County President on his birthday – Sunday, 22 August – taking in David’s old haunts around Heather and Sence Valley Park, Ibstock. His family will be taking part and so will I – hope to see you there Phil Ellis, Office of the Late David Taylor MP
News category: , News Releases |
Released at: 14:00 04/01/2010  |
Go back
