Many readers will be aware that Michael Meacher MP died yesterday.
I had the chance to work with Michael during the last parliament and last saw him just four weeks ago. He was 75, but was re-elected to the Commons in May and had no intention of retiring: politics was his life. He had been in the Commons for more than 40 years.
This is not an obituary: I did not know him well enough to offer any such thing. It is instead more a note of appreciation and thanks. I had known Michael for a number of years when in 2012 he won the chance to present a private member's bill in the Commons and asked me if I would like to draft a bill on a tax justice theme. After discussion the General Anti Tax-Avoidance Principle Bill resulted.
The Bill was lost, of course: it was talked out by government back benchers but it served a useful purpose. By presenting a stronger Bill than the government sponsored General Anti-Abuse Rule (which I was also involved in writing) those opposed to any such idea felt duty bound to back the government rather than Michael's tougher measure. One of its key ideas - that penalties apply if the GAAR is abused - has now also been adopted by George Osborne.
A year later Michael won in the ballot to present another Bill, and we were back in action once more, this time with the United Kingdom Corporate and Individual Tax and Financial Transparency Bill 2013-14. This out forward an amalgam transparency measures including on the record country-by-country reporting as well as automatic information exchange from UK based banks to HMRC on corporate activities to tackle tax evasion.
I well remember Jacob Rees-Mogg talking this Bill out saying he did not want any more tax collected in the UK fir any reason and Michael's indignation at his doing so. But that was Michael: a man who would try on a point of principle and do it again even if he had lost if he thought it the right thing to do.
I liked Michael. He was an unashamed Christian socialist who was not particularly popular with colleagues as a result who thought doing the right thing more important than that popularity.
I will miss him. My condolences to his family, parliamentary staff and friends.
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Growing up in Manchester, Meacher was a well known figure of the left. Until reading the Guardian Obituary (not a very kind one in some ways) i was not aware of his Christian faith. Sad to lose him. The loss of a true intellectual and thinker from the Labour party is not good given the sloppy Tory-Lite mess we have now. As Richard has pointed out in previous blogs, Meacher was interested in banking and money creation and the reforms that are necessary to create more democracy and social equity in this area. He was very much interested in Positive Money’s campaign and involved in debates on banking issues in and around the House of Commons which Richard attended. Given (Positive money poll) only about 1 in 10 M.P’s has any real knowledge of the banking system and money creation he was leading the way in this vital area.
While John McDonnell initially wanted to back Osborne’s fiscal charter Meacher was against it from the start. I just went back to my bookmarked page by Meacher on his blog from 26th September titled “Labour should beware adopting Osborne’s fiscal charter” and it says Page Not Found. Perhaps before McDonnell’s U-turn he had a word with Meacher to take this page down? Perhaps Meacher played a part in convincing McDonnell to perform the U-turn?
His blog was always the source of a far stronger defence of Labour’s record and a stronger and more coherent criticism Osborne’s policies than anything Balls or Miliband could come up with and I always believed if they followed Meacher’s approach they would have had a better chance of winning.
One thing that I am happy about is that after decades of disagreeing with his leaders when he died it was finally with a leader he fully supported.
Michael was very pleased Jeremy was elected – the last time I saw him was the morning of the result
We’ve got the two Simons again though it sounds like our views are very compatible!) I will try to sign as ‘Simon Q’ which I keep forgetting to do-sorry!
Yes, sad news, Richard. I well remember your work with him via your blogs here. An honourable and very moral man and a sad loss to a Labour Party that could well do with him still being around.
I am rather shocked as I have only just become aware of this in the last 25 minutes or so.
Despite his foolish backing for the war on Iraq (which, thankfully, he retracted) he spoke complete common sense in regard to the economy.
I enjoyed reading his column in the Morning Star and enjoyed the potshots he took at the economic illiteracy of the tories.
I have read extracts of his last book, “The State We Need”. It is well worth reading.
RIP Michael. Sad to see you go as we are in dire need of people like you.
Richard, I share your appreciation of Michael. He was compassionate and caring man and did not mind upsetting the party hierarchy. I spoke to him on 14th October and he mentioned that he was unwell but did not want to go into any details. Yesterday morning I spoke to his secretary and was told that Michael was in hospital though she did not go into any details. A few hours later, I was shocked to hear that he had passed away. Now more than ever before dissent and alternative voices are struggling to be heard. We need independent minded people who are willing the rock the boat and in that context Michael would be sorely missed. It was an honour and a privilege to have known him.
I met Michael a few times and always found him kind, thoughtful, razor-sharp mentally and a committed socialist. For me, he is one of a handful of truly great Labour MPs in the postwar era. RIP.
I agree Howard
He was also a member of the Labour Land Campaign. A sad loss to all of us campaigning for social justice.
As one who has lived outside the UK for the last 30 years, I formed exactly the same impression of Michael as those expressed here and felt shocked and saddened to read of his sudden death. I guess he first came to my notice through his work with Richard as reported on this blog, but I also heard him speak with force and conviction in a number of debates via live feeds from the House of Commons. A sad loss indeed and just when the Labour party acquired a leader he could fully support.
Michael’s incisive analysis and principled advocacy have, along with Richard’s blog, been my staple daily diet of political will and hope for several years. Like many others, I shall miss him a great deal.