Lord Biffen dies, aged 76

See also: A fine, original mind

His stepson Nicholas Wood said Lord Biffen, who still lived near Oswestry, died at 5am today.

Lord Biffen was Leader of the House of Commons from 1982 to 1987 and gained wide respect for speaking his mind, even if it meant opposing then party leader and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. He was famously described by her press secretary Bernard Ingham as being a "semi-detached" member of the Cabinet.

Baroness Thatcher led the messages of condolence by paying a warm personal tribute to Lord Biffen: "John was an outstanding Parliamentarian, a widely respected Leader of the House of Commons and a great British patriot."

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: "John Biffen will be remembered as a great Parliamentarian and a much respected Leader of the House of Commons.

"For five years he served as Leader of the Commons bringing eloquence, modesty and humour to the debates of the Commons and winning the admiration of all sides."

Lord Biffen had been receiving dialysis treatment for several years and was taken to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital on Saturday with septicaemia. Mr Wood said he and Lord Biffen had been together in Oswestry this month, visiting the bank and shops and doing "ordinary things" in the town.

"He was so bright and it was so frustrating for him to be incapacitated the way he was," said Mr Wood. "He was, unusually for a politician, a highly sensitive person and principles always came before any sense of personal ambition.

"He was not combative and was always capable of talking and listening to people regardless of their position."

Shropshire County Council chairman Brian Gillow was a long-standing friend of Lord Biffen and served on the selection committee that chose him as parliamentary candidate in 1961. "He loved the county of Shropshire and was a dedicated and unselfish MP," said Councillor Gillow.

Owen Paterson, who followed Lord Biffen as MP for North Shropshire, said: "I am genuinely shocked and saddened to hear of John's death.

"My thoughts go out to his wife Sarah and his stepchildren Lucy and Nicholas. She has always been a tower of strength and in particular, has looked after him with unfailing care in recent years as his health declined.

"John Biffen was a tremendous figure both locally and nationally. He was a man of integrity and principle who was a key figure in the Conservative Government of 1979, but who stood up against Margaret Thatcher when he did not agree with her.

"He was a strong believer in the sovereignty of the Westminster Parliament, and the respect he earned as Leader of the Commons still reverberates around the House to this day, and he is remembered as one of the finest leaders of the House of the last 50 years.

"He was liked and respected by both friends and opponents, handling the House with fairness and a deft sense of humour.

"John Biffen was an exceptional man. People of all parties and all interests owe him a great debt. He was greatly admired as a constituency MP for his conscientious hard work, his judgement and his kindness to all regardless of their political affiliation.

"I owe a huge debt to him. I would never have won the nomination for the North Shropshire constituency without his help and support," said Mr Paterson.

Malcolm Pate, Conservative leader of Shropshire County Council, said : "John Biffen's death is a profound loss for the people of Shropshire. He was a man whose contribution was immense to the political life of Shropshire in a way no-one else's was, and he will be sadly missed."

Tory leader David Cameron said: "John Biffen was a thoughtful and principled politician."

Lord Biffen surprised the political world by marrying, at the age of 48, one of his secretaries, Sarah Wood. Until then he had been regarded as a confirmed bachelor.

By Dave Morris