Friends and collegues in industry and politics pay tribute to Ashok Kumar MP (From The Northern Echo)

Friends and collegues in industry and politics pay tribute to Ashok Kumar MP

8:15am Tuesday 16th March 2010 in

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COLLEAGUES, friends and the business community last night paid tribute to MP Ashok Kumar, who died suddenly yesterday.

Dr Kumar, member for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, was remembered as a hardworking MP, respected by his peers.

Stan Higgins, chief executive of North-East of England Process Industry Cluster, said: “He was well respected by his colleagues in the process industry, not only locally, but nationally as well.

He was one of those MPs who worked and cajoled his colleagues in Government to support the formation of a process industry cluster in the North-East.”

The chairman of Cleveland Police Authority, Councillor Dave McLuckie, said: “It is a tragedy that someone who had given so much to our area, and had so much more to give, should die at such a relatively early age. I had worked with Ashok on so many issues and I always knew his first priority was the interests of the people he was so proud to represent.”

Stockton North MP Frank Cook said: “There can be no doubt that Ashok Kumar was a tremendous fighter for his party and for the area where he lived and worked for so long.

“His expertise as a research scientist meant that he was able to make a particularly important contribution in parliament on issues affecting the chemical industry and, of course, the battle to save the steel industry, a campaign he maintained to the last.”

Andrew Copson, British Humanist Association chief executive, said: “Ashok was a long-standing supporter of humanism. The loss of his commitment, good humour and humanist outlook will be felt by many in and outside of Parliament.”

Margaret Fay, chairwoman of development agency One North-East, said: “Ashok will be deeply missed in many ways, not least for the way he always fought hard for his constituents to tackle the issues that affected their lives.”

Dr Roberta Blackman- Woods MP, the Durham City MP, said: “I am absolutely shocked and utterly saddened by the news that Ashok has died. He was such a hardworking MP and so well liked in his constituency, to which he was completely dedicated, as well as throughout the North-East and by his parliamentary colleagues.”

Lord Michael Bates of Langbaurgh, the Tory peer who beat Dr Kumar in the 1992 General Election, only to lose the seat to him in the 1997 landslide, said: “Even though he was a political opponent, Ashok was a friend. He will be a sad loss to the constituency and politics. He was a true gentleman.”

There was also a tribute from Hilary Benn, the Environment Secretary, for whom Dr Kumar worked for many years as an unpaid parliamentary aide.

Mr Benn said: “It is very hard to believe that Ashok is no longer with us. He was a pioneer, a doughty fighter for his constituents and a Labour man through and through who cared deeply for others.

“He was also fearless in pursuit of what he saw as right. I came to value his friendship, his loyalty and his sense of fun over the many years we worked together. It is why he will be greatly missed by so many of us.”

Professor Graham Henderson, Teesside University’s vice-chancellor, said: “All of us at the university are shocked by this distressing news. Ashok was an outstanding constituency MP.”