Former Labour Party member and ex-defense minister Sir Patrick Duffy has passed away at the age of 105 after a brief illness. He died on January 2 and was believed to be the UK’s longest-living former Member of Parliament. Kevin Meagher, a family friend who co-wrote Sir Patrick’s second book published at age 103, described him as a living history archive, able to vividly recount encounters with figures like former Prime Minister Clement Attlee.
Sir Duffy, who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II and received a papal knighthood from Pope John Paul II, survived a plane crash during World War II while serving in the Fleet Air Arm. Kevin Meagher shared the harrowing tale of Sir Patrick’s survival on a Scottish mountainside, where he lay in the fuselage of his aircraft for 24 hours, facing near-death from exposure to the elements.
Having entered Parliament in 1950, Sir Patrick was elected as an MP in 1963 after winning the Colne Valley by-election. He later represented Sheffield Attercliffe from 1970 until his retirement in 1992. Notably, he served as parliamentary under-secretary for the Royal Navy in the late 1970s under James Callaghan’s Labour government.
Mr. Meagher recounted how Sir Patrick stood out as the sole MP to confront former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher over the death of Bobby Sands during the hunger strikes in 1981. Despite this, Thatcher and Sir Patrick would later share tea together, especially during his tenure as president of the Nato Assembly in the 1980s.
In a statement penned by Mr. Meagher and endorsed by Sir Patrick’s family, he was hailed as an exceptional individual with a legacy of achievements. The statement highlighted his remarkable memory and recounted his impact on a wide range of individuals across generations.
Sir Patrick’s life was celebrated as one filled with accomplishments, camaraderie, and intellectual sharpness, leaving behind a void that will be deeply felt by his loved ones and admirers.