Lord Bob Kerslake: Former Civil Service head dies aged 68

Lord Bob Kerslake, a erstwhile caput of the Civil Service, has died astatine the property of 68.

Kerslake, who had been diagnosed with cancer, died connected Saturday, his sister and girl announced connected Twitter.

Lord Kerslake led the Civil Service betwixt January 2012 and September 2014, during David Cameron's conjugation government.

He had precocious been moving with the Labour Party connected its preparations for the adjacent wide election.

At the clip of Lord Kerslake's assignment successful 2012, Mr Cameron said helium would bring a "wealth of experience" to the role.

Lord Kerslake was besides imperishable caput astatine the Department for Communities and Local Government from 2010 to 2015 - helium retained this relation erstwhile helium became the caput of the service.

Bath-born Lord Kerslake started his vocation successful section authorities with the Greater London Council, and was knighted successful the 2005 New Year honours database for services to section government.

He served arsenic main enforcement of the Sheffield City Council betwixt 1997 and 2008, earlier heading to the Homes and Communities Agency.

After leaving the Civil Service successful 2015, Lord Kerslake became seat of King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and seat of the committee of governors astatine Sheffield Hallam University.

He was introduced arsenic a crossbench beingness adjacent successful the House of Lords successful 2015.

Following the quality of his death, lawman Labour person Angela Rayner described Lord Kerslake arsenic "a good, benignant and principled man" who was a "devoted nationalist servant" and "full of wisdom".

The president of the FDA union, David Penman, said helium was "an engaging and committed person of the Civil Service".