Hundreds pay tribute at funeral of Middlesbrough MP Sir Stuart Bell (From Darlington and Stockton Times)
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Hundreds pay tribute at funeral of Middlesbrough MP Sir Stuart Bell
10:56am Sunday 28th October 2012 in News By Joanna Morris
The funeral and commemorative service for Sir Stuart Bell, MP for Middlesbrough took place in St Barnabas Church, Linthorpe, Middlesbrough on Saturday
HUNDREDS turned out today to pay their respects to one of the region’s longest serving MPs.
Sir Stuart Bell, who was Labour MP for Middlesbrough for 29 years, died on Saturday, October 13 following a short battle with pancreatic cancer.
His funeral, held at St Barnabas Church in Linthorpe, was attended by many of his parliamentary colleagues, as well as friends, family and representatives from the local community.
Labour leader Ed Miliband paid tribute to the 74-year-old at the service. He stated that Sir Bell had been “Labour to the core” and added: “He won immense respect in the House of Commons over the course of nearly 30 years for his eloquence, intelligence, decency and love of parliament. His memory will never die and his flame will live on.”
Other speakers at the funeral included Sir Stuart’s son Malcolm, Middlesbrough Football Club chairman Steve Gibson and Middlesbrough mayor Ray Mallon, who said that he had been proud to call Sir Stuart his friend.
“We will never forget Sir Stuart Bell and we will articulate what he was all about because it is about time that the people of Middlesbrough knew what they had as an MP," he said.
"When you look at the big picture of Stuart Bell, it is exceptional and the evidence of that will unravel itself over time.”
