A formidable operator to the noisy end

Gwyneth Dunwoody's political career as a troublemaker may not be quite over yet merely because she's died. A few months ago I was talking with a group of northern MPs at a reception for retired colleagues and her name came up.

Why? The MPs were complaining that party HQ in London is too keen nowadays to parachute its favoured sons and daughters, often bright young things from inside the M25, into safe seats. By definition that often means seats in northern England, because Scotland and Wales are, well, a bit sensitive. It's OK for Scots to represent English seats for all parties. But the other way round is harder nowadays ...

"Some of the old stagers are hanging on with the intention of dying in harness and making sure party HQ doesn't control the selection," the MPs and ex-MPs explained with some evident strength of feeling. Dunwoody's seat at Crewe and Nantwich was mentioned as one such.

I didn't bump into Gwyneth in the intervening weeks so I didn't get the chance to check the claim. Now she's given me the slip. But she has certainly done one bit: she's died in harness at 77 as I always sensed she wanted to do. A formidable operator to the noisy end, she made a fierce attack on the Lisbon reform treaty - and government tactics to get the bill through - only the other week. She was a doughty parliamentarian.

Politicians complain - quite rightly - that the media is insensitive when one of their numbers dies and the headline is reduced to "Top Byelection in Blankshire South" as if a career is of no account. It doesn't stop them making phone calls to check the lie of the local land for some protege. I bet the phone is ringing off the hook among activists in Crewe and those phoning to pay their respects and take discreet soundings.

Gwyneth Dunwoody would not have minded. She was an old-fashioned, rightwing political bruiser, unashamed to wield what clout she had on behalf of causes she supported. Her father, the late Morgan Phillips, was general secretary of the Labour party in the days when they didn't muck about. The party machine and the trade union leadership gave troublemakers and the left a hard time.

There was a lot of self-indulgent feuding in both left and right camps, often pretty destructive though good fun. Now that the pendulum has swung towards managerial politics, old stagers like Mrs D who caused trouble are too few. She will be missed. But if she is up there on a cloud today, I expect she is already up on a celestial point of order asking God to make a statement and what does he think he's playing at.