Death of Lord Lofthouse of Pontefract
5 November 2012 (updated on 5 November 2012)
Labour life peer, Lord Lofthouse of Pontefract died on Thursday 1 November, aged 86. He was introduced as a life peer in 1997
Lord Lofthouse became Pontefract’s Labour MP in 1978. He represented the coal industry throughout the 80s, particularly during the strike of 1984-85, and was a key voice in the campaign for compensation for miners affected by industrial diseases.
He served as Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons to Betty Boothroyd in 1992, a position he kept until his retirement. He became Deputy Speaker in the House of Lords in 1998, he also chaired Wakefield Health Authority from 1998 and the Mid-Yorks NHS Trust from 2002. He was knighted in 1995.
He had a passion for rugby, and was chairman of the Parliamentary All Party Rugby Group.