Phil Woolas: Former Labour minister dies aged 66

Phil Woolas, the former Labour minister who served under the governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, has passed away at the age of 66 following a battle with brain cancer. Woolas was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a particularly aggressive form of brain cancer, and fought the illness for over a year before his death. His family shared that he leaves behind his wife Tracey, their sons Josh and Jed, as well as a grandson, along with numerous friends and former colleagues who will remember him fondly.

During his political career, Woolas held multiple ministerial positions, including responsibilities for local government, environment, and immigration. He was the Member of Parliament for Oldham East and Saddleworth from 1997 until 2010. Before his time in Parliament, Woolas was active in student politics as the president of the National Union of Students. He also worked as a television producer and held the role of communications director for the GMB union.

Woolas’ parliamentary career came to an abrupt end following a notable legal controversy. An election court, convened in a rare judicial procedure, found that Woolas had lied about his Liberal Democrat opponent during an election campaign. Woolas later maintained that he did not believe he had deliberately misled anyone during the contest. Despite this, the ruling resulted in him losing his seat in the Commons.

Paying tribute to Woolas, former Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair described him as an “outstanding” member of the New Labour government. Blair recalled Woolas as a respected and admired colleague who brought both humor and sharp political insight to his work. He offered his condolences to Woolas’ family, noting the strong support he had given over the years in both good times and bad

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