Tributes to Ken Hargreaves MBE KSG

Ken Hargreaves MBE KSG, the former Member of Parliament for the constituency of Hyndburn (1983 -1992) died this morning, after a long illness, at the East Lancashire Hospice.

Tributes to Mr Hargreaves and his lifetime of community service and commitment to the pro-life cause have been flooding in.

Ann Widdecombe, former MP for Maidstone, who knew Ken well, said: "Ken will be remembered with huge affection by friends and colleagues. He was a tireless campaigner for God and the unborn. No constituent was ever neglected no matter how trivial the problem. The trumpets will have sounded loudly on the other side."

Catholic Peer, Lord David Alton of Liverpool, who served for decades with Ken as an officer of the Parliamentary Pro-life Group says: "Ken was one of those under-stated men, rare in politics, who had little time for vanity or ego but gave himself quietly to his causes. He never faltered in his deep conviction that every life is precious, from conception until natural death; stood four square with the down trodden; and combined patriotism and a love of his Lancashire roots - most notably Hyndburn, Accrington and Oswaldtwistle - with a deep and simple Catholic faith.

"Whether he was serving Mass, as he did for 60 years; working with the St.Vincent de Paul Society or charities and organisations of which he was a member - from the Epiphany Trust and Movement for Christian Democracy or Right To Life - Ken Hargreaves set a fine example of dedicated public service. May he rest in peace.

John Cotter, Vice Chair of pro-life campaign group, Right to Life, of which Ken served for many as Chairman said: "Ken's whole life was spent in the generous, tireless and loving service of others. He was a good man, a wonderful friend and for thirteen years a greatly respected, dedicated and loved Chairman of Right To Life. The fruits of his work will live on but we will miss him dearly. May he rest in Peace."

Only a few weeks ago, Ken was awarded a Knighthood of St Gregory by Pope Benedict XVI for his service to the pro-life cause.

Jim Dobbin MP (Labour Heywood and Middleton), Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Pro-life Group, said: "It was a pleasure and a privilege to work on a cross-party basis with an individual of Ken's integrity, humility and dogged determination to do the right thing by those who sought his help. The Papal knighthood he received in the last few days of his life brought him great joy not in knowing that he had personally been recognised but rather that all who work for the pro-life cause could share in the recognition of the nobility of their endeavours."

Chris Whitehouse, who served as Clerk to the Parliamentary Pro-life Group for twenty years and is a Trustee of Right to Life, added: "Ken was a quiet and modest man whom it was a joy to know. But he spoke with a loud voice and clear determination on behalf both of this constituents and those with no voice of their own, the unborn child and the vulnerable elderly."