Prime Minister leads Commons tributes to Ashok Kumar (From The Northern Echo)

Prime Minister leads Commons tributes to Ashok Kumar

2:00pm Wednesday 17th March 2010 in

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PRIME Minister Gordon Brown led Commons tributes today to Labour MP Ashok Kumar, whose sudden death has shocked Westminster.

The 53-year-old MP, who was found dead in his home on Monday, "will be sorely missed in Parliament", Mr Brown said.

David Cameron said he was "a great representative" and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg paid tribute to an "absolutely first class" MP.

Cleveland Police said a post-mortem examination found the Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland MPs death was from natural causes.

At Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Brown said: "He was a tenacious campaigner, a passionate advocate for the people of Teesside and his expertise and his wise counsel will be sorely missed at all times in this House."

Conservative leader Mr Cameron said: "He was respected on all sides of the House for his hard work representing a constituency he loved and campaigning for the causes in which he believed.

"The House has lost a great representative and our thoughts should be with his friends and family at this time."

Mr Clegg said: "He had a reputation as an absolutely first class local MP, a defender of the steel industry.

"He spoke out on the environment before it was fashionable to do so and always spoke up for fairness."

Tory MP Tony Baldry (Banbury) paid tribute to a "genuinely decent colleague".

Labour's Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley) told MPs: "I lost a great friend in Dr Ashok Kumar. He was a gentleman, a true politician, a scientist who must never be forgotten.

"He was a great friend of this House and I just want to say all our thoughts are with his family and his constituents."

Born in India, Dr Kumar worked as a research scientist for British Steel before being elected as an MP in 1991, when he won a by-election for the Langbaurgh seat.

His first spell in Parliament proved to be short-lived when he lost the seat in the 1992 general election, but he was re-elected in 1997 to the newly created Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency.