BARROW and Furness MP John Woodcock has paid tribute today to long-standing former Labour MP, Tony Benn, who has died at the age of 88.

Mr Woodcock, the Labour MP, said: “The Labour party and the British political landscape is a far less colourful place without Tony Benn, whose contribution to post-war public life was enormous and I am sure that in Furness and across Westminster there will be people of many shades of opinion who will be feeling a sense of loss.

“He was certainly an important figure in my family and my mum still has her 'Tony Benn for deputy leader badge' on display at home.

“Although he stepped down as an MP in 2001 his dedication to the cause was undimmed and he will be remembered as a decent man, a highly-skilled parliamentarian and a politician who said what he thought.”