Tony Banks RIP

So, fairly hard on the heels of the news that Tony Banks, the former MP not-widely-known-as Lord Stratford, had had a stroke comes the news that he has died.

And that’s a shame. Like Robin Cook before him, he was a political animal whose political principles were more important to him that climbing up the Labour Party heirarchy. Like Cook, I didn’t agree with all his politics. But I did respect him, and had the chance to meet him, ever-so-briefly, when he spoke at a friend’s wedding. I was doing photography for the event, hence the pic above.

In fact, he was the last person I saw from the wedding on the day itself, and my wife and I ran into him and his wife on the Strand, both couple clutching a large Dr Who cookie jar, a gift from the happy couple for services rendered.

Rest in peace. Politics is poorer for your passing.