Firebrand Jack was a true champion of the underdog
‘AGIANT of a man', a kind and compassionate friend, a fiery socialist and union activist, a bridge-builder and organiser, a gentle force for good, devoted to his family.
The tributes to Birmingham Labour MP Jack Dromey on his tragic death last Friday have been long and fulsome.
Prominent, rightly, were the poignant and powerful words from those who have known and worked alongside him, and loved him, for a lifetime.
But poignant too were the messages posted on social media, in chats and in emails from people whose lives he had, by comparison, barely brushed by.
For Jack Dromey was a man who left an impression, and invariably it was a good one, even if he didn't agree with you, or you with him.
He was always a man on a mission – and if he took up your cause, you could be sure he would leave no stone unturned to help you reach your goal.
Last Friday, he was due to meet up with activists and support workers at Spitfire Services in Castle Vale, one of the most deprived areas in his constituency, to launch a new campaign to highlight the huge impact of the cost of living crisis on local families.
It's why he was on the phone to me on Wednesday, and messaged me again on Thursday, to press me to come along. We never got to meet up.
Last Thursday, on what was to prove his last engagement, he was
meeting with bereaved relatives whose loved ones had succumbed to Covid-19 during the pandemic.
Among them was Jane Roche, whose dad and sister died during that awful, crushing first wave that claimed hundreds of lives.
Together with Jane, Jack Dromey had been championing calls for a full public inquiry into the handling of the crisis, particularly during those first shocking weeks.
He also wanted Birmingham to have its own version of the national Covid memorial wall that proved such a stark landmark in London.
His efforts played into city council plans for a series of memorial gardens around the city – with Castle Vale chosen as the first location.
It was at the site of the first garden that he met up with Jane one last time, alongside Birmingham city council leader Cllr Ian Ward, who will ensure the project goes ahead as planned.
Cllr Ward said: “It's a measure of the way Jack lived his life that the last meeting I had with him was to discuss a memorial for families who have lost loved ones to Covid.
“His first thought was always to give a voice to the unheard and he genuinely listened to and cared about the community he represented.
“Whether it was campaigning for people's jobs, highlighting injustice or fighting cuts, Jack was a true Labour man, a man of strong values who was always on the side of the underdog. In the last couple of years he worked closely with the Covid-19 bereaved families and worked tirelessly to give them a voice.
“He never stopped working for his constituents and the people of Erdington have lost a true champion.”
Jane Haynes is a political correspondent for the