Tributes have been paid to veteran Labour peer and former Tameside MP Lord Tom Pendry, who has died at the age of 88.

Lord Pendry was the Labour member of parliament for the Stalybridge and Hyde constituency from 1970 to 2001 and also served as the Northern Ireland Office Minister.

In 2000, he was made a member of the Privy Council on the recommendation of then Prime Minister Tony Blair. After the 2001 election, he was elevated to the peerage as Baron Pendry of Stalybridge. 

Lord Pendry was given the honorary title of Lord Mottram of Longdendale to mark 25 years as MP and became an Honorary Freeman of the Borough of Tameside in 1995.

In Stalybridge, the area in front of the Civic Hall is named Lord Pendry Square after him and Stalybridge Celtic Football Club, where he was a patron, have a stand named after him - The Lord Tom Pendry Stand.

Passionate about sport, he was president of the Football Foundation Limited and was formerly sports advisor to Tameside District Council Sports Trust, as well as Shadow Minister for Sport and Tourism between 1979 and 1997. 

Lord Pendry passed away on Sunday night (26 February). 

He was born on 10 June 1934 in Broadstairs in Kent, where he returned to live recently. 

The stand at Bower Fold which is named after Lord Tom Pendry 

'Lord Pendry was incredibly passionate about sport' 

Stalybridge and Hyde MP Jonathan Reynolds said Lord Pendry will be "missed by many". 

The Labour MP said: “I am very sorry to let constituents know that Lord Tom Pendry of Stalybridge passed away last night. A highly popular Member of Parliament for Stalybridge & Hyde from 1970 to 2001, and continued servant of our communities since, Lord Pendry will be missed by many. He was extremely proud to have served as Lord Commissioner of the Treasury and as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Northern Ireland under Jim Callaghan, and would often tell me he was responsible for talent-spotting Tony Blair.

“His passion was sport, especially boxing and football, great loves deepened during his national service with the Royal Air Force. His service as President of the Football Foundation saw him campaigning for better facilities for community soccer throughout his time in the Lords. My deepest condolences go to his children Fiona and Dominic, and his grandchildren.”

Jonathan Reynolds is the current Labour MP in the constituency that Lord Tom Pendry served 

Angela Rayner, MP for Ashton-under-Lyne and Labour's deputy leader, said: “I am so sorry to hear about the passing of Lord Pendry who will be remembered for serving the communities of Stalybridge and Hyde, not just as their MP from 1970 to 2001, but also in the years that followed. He was so proud to be made an Honorary Freeman of the Borough of Tameside in 1995.

"Tameside Council named part of the street in front of Stalybridge’s old market hall ‘Lord Pendry Square’ and fans at Stalybridge Celtic can sit in The Lord Tom Pendry Stand - a true testament to how respected he was in the area he served.

“Lord Pendry was incredibly passionate about sport and was delighted to be appointed President of the Football Foundation in February 2003, a role he used to fight for better facilities for community sport during his time in the Lords.

“He will be missed by so many and my deepest condolences are with his family and friends at this very sad time.”

Angela Rayner MP has paid tribute to Lord Tom Pendry

Stalybridge Celtic acknowledged Lord Pendry's contribution to the club, saying: "Lord Pendry was a good of Stalybridge Celtic FC and was until his death, Patron of the club. He advised and helped the football club in many ways over many years. 

"Lord Pendry was a regular visitor to matches and for a period of time lived just across the road from Bower Fold. Not only is one of the stands at Bower Fold named after Lord Tom, but an area in front of the old market hall in the centre of Stalybridge is named Lord Pendry Square. 

"We send our deepest condolences to his children Fiona and Dominic. Rest in peace, Lord Pendry." 

Sam Gosling, an independent councillor for Stalybridge North, commented: "Heard the sad news this morning that Lord Tom Pendry has died. I will never forget the level of support and kindness he showed me when I became a councillor and when I took over the management of the Labour Club.

"I’ll be toasting his amazing life tonight with a glass of House of Lords whiskey that he gave me as a gift. Rest in peace Tom. You will be missed."

Jackie Moores, Principal and CEO at Tameside College, tweeted: "Very sad news. He was a lovely guy who worked tirelessly in Tameside. Condolences to his family." 

'I remember Tom with a great deal of affection'

Former Glossop Chronicle editor David Jones knew Lord Pendry for around 40 years, first meeting him when he was appointed news editor of the North Cheshire Herald. 

David reflects on his own personal memories of Lord Pendry. 

Whenever he was back in the constituency he would call at our offices in Market Street, Hyde.

We would chat about politics both local and national and what was making the news in Hyde and Stalybridge.

It was long before the then Tom Pendry was elevated to the House of Lords and we often worked together on issues that were important and sometimes worrying to the people in his constituency.

Me writing the stories, often on information supplied by Tom in which he promised to stand up against anything he felt would seriously affect his constituents.

Such was his opposition to reports that Moors Murderers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley could be paroled.

He met various Home Secretaries, always telling me: "They have assured me they will never be freed."

And of course he worked tirelessly to get that badly needed Longdendale Bypass built.

Lord Pendry was a leading national as well a top local politician and had been a Labour Shadow Cabinet minister.

He had been a Shadow Minister of Sport and seemed favourite to be given the job he longed for in Tony Blair's Labour government, but was surprisingly overlooked.

Over the years, Lord Pendry and myself became firm friends in the latter years after he moved back to Kent he would 'phone with an invitation to visit him in his London flat.

The last time we spoke was in November, again a trip to the House of Lords was offered.

We agreed to meet up 'sometime in the New Year', both of us looking forward to meeting each other for the first time on more than 10 years.

I remember Tom with a great deal of affection, a character, an old school politician  who always put people before politics, a fearless fighter who stood up for what he thought was right.

And a man who was often described as 'the best Minister of Sport that Britain never had'.

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