Margaret McDonagh, key New Labour figure, dies aged 61

Baroness Margaret McDonagh, the archetypal pistillate wide caput of the Labour Party, has died aged 61.

She was a cardinal fig successful the enactment nether Sir Tony Blair's leadership, and played a cardinal relation successful some the 1997 and 2001 wide predetermination victories.

She was diagnosed with encephalon crab successful 2021.

Senior Labour figures person paid tribute, including Sir Keir Starmer, who said she was "absolutely essential" successful returning the enactment to power.

He called her a "tireless champion for women" who "may not person been arsenic celebrated arsenic immoderate of the politicians she worked with but they wouldn't person got into powerfulness without her".

As portion of Tony Blair's interior ellipse during the New Labour era, she helped pb the enactment backmost into authorities and became its wide caput successful 1998, playing a cardinal relation down the scenes.

Sir Tony called her the "most loyal person anyone could privation for" and said she was a "vital element" during Labour's occurrence successful the precocious 90s and aboriginal 2000s.

She went connected to tally the palmy 2001 predetermination run and was made a beingness adjacent successful 2004.

Lord Mandelson, who was the party's run manager during the1997 election, said she was a "tour de force" who ran Labour's office "with a rod of iron".

He continued: "Everyone was terrified, including me. I person ne'er met anyone truthful resolute, truthful uncompromisingly honorable and truthful direct."

Former Labour person Neil Kinnock said she was "magnificent successful each way" and had shown courageousness successful warring her illness.

He added: "She strove successful the astir applicable ways for existent equality for women passim her life, she was a superb organizer for ideology and she had substance of alloy and charm which earned her loyalty from friends and admiration from foes."

In March, her sister Siobhain McDonagh, the Labour MP for Mitcham and Morden, accused the NHS of abandoning radical with glioblastoma, the encephalon information Margaret was diagnosed with.

In an affectional Commons speech, she was captious of the deficiency of advancement successful however the crab is treated, saying: "There is nary hope, nary future, nary trials, nothing."