Veteran Labour MP Tony Lloyd, 70, steps down from front bench to continue recovery from coronavirus that put him in intensive care
- Tony Lloyd had served as shadow Northern Ireland secretary for two years
- He was discharged from intensive care at Manchester Royal Infirmary last week
- Will be replaced by shadow policing minister Louise Haigh, who covered for him
- Keir Starmer thanked Mr Lloyd, Labour MP for Rochdale since 2017, for his service
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
Veteran Labour MP Tony Lloyd has stepped down from the front bench to focus on his recovery from coronavirus, the party has announced
Veteran Labour MP Tony Lloyd has stepped down from the front bench to focus on his recovery from coronavirus, the party has announced.
Mr Lloyd had served as shadow Northern Ireland secretary for two years but will now be replaced by shadow policing minister Louise Haigh, who had been covering in his absence.
The 70-year-old was discharged from intensive care at Manchester Royal Infirmary last week.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: ‘I want to thank Tony for his service during his time in the shadow cabinet and on the front bench.
‘The whole of the Labour Party wishes him and his family the very best as he continues with his recovery.’
Mr Lloyd has been the Labour MP for Rochdale since 2017 after serving as MP for Stretford between 1983 and 1997; he was the MP for Manchester Central between 1997 and 2012.
Mr Lloyd also served as Greater Manchester police and crime commissioner and interim mayor of Greater Manchester.
He served in Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cabinet and was also minister of state in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office under Tony Blair and chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party for four years until 2010.
Mr Lloyd had served as shadow Northern Ireland secretary for two years but will now be replaced by shadow policing minister Louise Haigh (above), who had been covering in his absence
Mr Lloyd, 70, was discharged from intensive care at Manchester Royal Infirmary last week