Former Hyndburn MP Ken Hargreaves dies (From Lancashire Telegraph)
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Former Hyndburn MP Ken Hargreaves dies
8:44am Sunday 24th June 2012 in News
By Nafeesa Shan, Reporter
FORMER Hyndburn MP Ken Hargreaves has died aged 73 after a long illness.
Mr Hargreaves, a prominent Catholic and anti-abortion campaigner was awarded the MBE in 2006 for services to the community, and was recognised recently by the Pope with a Knighthood of St Gregory.
He represented Hyndburn from 1983 to 1992 and died on Saturday morning at the East Lancashire Hospice in Blackburn.
Tributes to Mr Hargreaves and his lifetime of community service have been paid.
His friend Ann Widdecombe, former MP for Maidstone, said: “Ken will be remembered with huge affection by friends and colleagues. He was a tireless campaigner for God and the unborn. No constituent was ever neglected no matter how trivial the problem. The trumpets will have sounded loudly on the other side.”
Catholic Peer, Lord David Alton of Liverpool, who served for decades with Ken as an officer of the Parliamentary Pro-life Group says: “Ken was one of those under-stated men, rare in politics, who had little time for vanity or ego but gave himself quietly to his causes. He never faltered in his deep conviction that every life is precious, from conception until natural death; stood four square with the down trodden; and combined patriotism and a love of his Lancashire roots - most notably Hyndburn, Accrington and Oswaldtwistle - with a deep and simple Catholic faith.
“Whether he was serving Mass, as he did for 60 years; working with the St.Vincent de Paul Society or charities and organisations of which he was a member - from the Epiphany Trust and Movement for Christian Democracy or Right To Life - Ken Hargreaves set a fine example of dedicated public service. May he rest in peace."
Comments(12)
Come the Revolution
says...
1:25pm Sun 24 Jun 12
frank
says...
4:41pm Sun 24 Jun 12
mavrick wrote:maybe the only decent MP we ever had. he was a great bloke.
It is a sad loss for Hyndburn, If the Tories would have taken a fraction of the humanitarian qualities Ken had they would be much better for it. He was a man every one had respect for, It was a loss to local politics when he left. R.I.P Ken you have done your share.
RIP
Elegant1
says...
6:12pm Sun 24 Jun 12
frank wrote:Obviously you are too young to remember Harry Hynd Frank but you are forgiven for that. I wish I was too young to remember him as well. But he was a good man as well. He would be one of the best for the area.
mavrick wrote:maybe the only decent MP we ever had. he was a great bloke.
It is a sad loss for Hyndburn, If the Tories would have taken a fraction of the humanitarian qualities Ken had they would be much better for it. He was a man every one had respect for, It was a loss to local politics when he left. R.I.P Ken you have done your share.
RIP
2 for 5p
says...
7:29pm Sun 24 Jun 12
Yvonne Oswaldtwistle
says...
10:04pm Sun 24 Jun 12
Dual Citizen Dave
says...
1:04am Mon 25 Jun 12
karolgadge
says...
9:40am Mon 25 Jun 12
May he rest in the peace he richly deserves.
jaysay
says...
9:47am Mon 25 Jun 12
mavrick
says...
2:25pm Mon 25 Jun 12
frank wrote:For the record Ken and Myself were political opposites in party terms. he was a better man than may I could name on our side. He knew the local people and what made them tick. Politicians like that are rare these days. He was also one of the few who had done a proper job before he became an MP. He knew what the problems were and wrestled with his conscience on many issues. He was a dam good MP.
mavrick wrote:maybe the only decent MP we ever had. he was a great bloke.
It is a sad loss for Hyndburn, If the Tories would have taken a fraction of the humanitarian qualities Ken had they would be much better for it. He was a man every one had respect for, It was a loss to local politics when he left. R.I.P Ken you have done your share.
RIP
doggydog
says...
8:51pm Mon 25 Jun 12
milnshawe
says...
8:33pm Tue 26 Jun 12
Paul
mavrick says...
8:59am Sun 24 Jun 12