Sir Patrick Duffy, Former Labour MP and Defence Minister, Dies at 105
Sir Patrick Duffy, a former Labour MP and defence minister, died on 2 January 2026 after a short illness at the age of 105. He is believed to be the UK's longest-living former MP. During World War II, Duffy survived a plane crash in the Orkney Islands while serving in the Fleet Air Arm.
Duffy first ran for Parliament in 1950 and was elected MP for Colne Valley in 1963. He later served as MP for Sheffield Attercliffe from 1970 to 1992. In the late 1970s, he was parliamentary under-secretary for the Royal Navy under Prime Minister James Callaghan. In 1981, he publicly criticized Margaret Thatcher over the death of Bobby Sands, but would later have tea with her when president of the NATO Assembly during the 1980s.
He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II and also received a papal knighthood from Pope John Paul II. A family-approved tribute described Sir Patrick Duffy as an extraordinary individual, highlighting his lifetime of achievements and his remarkable memory of personalities and events from a century ago.
