Former Labour MP and defense minister Sir Patrick Duffy has passed away at the age of 105 after a brief illness. He died on January 2, making him the longest-living former MP in the UK. A close family friend, Kevin Meagher, who co-authored Sir Patrick’s second book published at the age of 103, described him as a walking history book, able to vividly recount encounters with notable figures like Clement Attlee.
Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II and bestowed with a papal knighthood by Pope John Paul II, Sir Duffy had a remarkable life. He survived a plane crash during World War II while serving in the Fleet Air Arm, enduring 24 hours stranded on a Scottish mountainside before being rescued. Despite nearly freezing to death and needing morphine injected by unconventional means due to frozen limbs, he displayed remarkable resilience.
Sir Patrick entered politics in 1950 and won his first parliamentary seat in 1963 through a by-election. He represented Sheffield Attercliffe from 1970 until his retirement in 1992, serving as a parliamentary under-secretary for the Royal Navy in the late 1970s under James Callaghan’s Labour government. Known for his outspoken criticism of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher over the death of Bobby Sands, he later shared tea with her during his tenure as president of the Nato Assembly in the 1980s.
Described as an extraordinary individual with a wealth of achievements, Sir Patrick leaves behind a legacy cherished by family and friends of all ages. His remarkable memory and engaging storytelling will be dearly missed, as he was celebrated for a life rich in accomplishments and cherished by many.
