Labour MP David Taylor dies at 63

David Taylor had been MP for North West Leicestershire since 1997 and planned to retire at next election

David Taylor, the hard-working leftwing Labour MP and one of parliament's polymaths, had died from a heart attack.

The 63-year-old was walking with his family at Calke Abbey, in Derbyshire, on Boxing Day when he was struck down. Staff at Queens hospital, in Burton on Trent, were unable to revive him.

Taylor had said he would retire at the next election, citing the scale of the modern MP's workload as one reason. He had been MP for North West Leicestershire since 1997.

In a sign of his popularity he had been voted Commons Backbencher of the Year in the annual awards organised by Sky TV and The House magazine and decided by a ballot of all 646 MPs. It was a remarkable tribute given that his membership of the Socialist Campaign group of MPs put him well outside the mainstream of Westminster politics. The citation read: "An indefatigable campaigner, constant attender and independent–minded."

Gordon Brown paid tribute, saying: "David has been a strong campaigner and when I visited his constituency a few weeks ago I found enormous respect and admiration for what he has achieved."

Labour will try to follow precedent by refusing to hold a byelection they would be likely to lose, citing the imminence of the general election. By tradition a seat can be kept vacant for as long as six months.

Postal Scam Warning from Leicestershire Force Crime Prevention Officer

The Trading Standards Office are making people aware of the following
scam:

A card is posted through your door from a company called PDS (Parcel
Delivery Service) suggesting that they were unable to deliver a parcel
and that you need to contact them on 0906 6611911 (a premium rate
number).

DO NOT call this number, as this is a mail scam originating from Belize.
If you call the number and you start to hear a recorded message you will
already have been billed £15 for the phone call. If you do receive a
card with these details, then please contact ICSTIS (the premium rate
service regulator) at www.icstis.org.uk or Trading Standards on via
Consumer Direct on 08454 040506

Nothing Stop's Cllr Cathy Duffy...

IT takes more than a bit of 

snow to deter intrepid BNP

councillor Cathy Duffy from

going about her council duties.

The representative for East Goscote

ward on Charnwood Council was out

and about in the bitterly cold weather

to deliver leaflets advising her constituents

of her forthcoming surgery dates. Husband 

Maurice, is very much part of her campaign 

team and he was on hand to help deliver the  

leaflets and take the photographs.

While doing the rounds, Cathy was  

stopped by a gentleman (above, right)  

who had just been made redundant 

and he had a number of questions about 

what the BNP 's policies were to get 

people back into work.

"He went away reasonably happy with 

what I told him and I said I would get a 

BNP information pack sent to him. Over 

the last few months people that you meet 

are becoming more and more interested 

in politics. I think that they are beginning 

to realise that it's time to make their voice 

heard," she told me.