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Lord John Horam, the former Gateshead MP who has died aged 87, after a fall on his way home from working at the House of Lords(Image: PA)

Lord John Horam, a former Gateshead MP, has died aged 87, after a fall on his way home from working at the House of Lords, on July 2. The sad news has been shared by the family of the politician, who served as a minister in both Labour and Conservative governments.

The peer died at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, with his loved ones saying that, despite receiving care from paramedics and hospital staff, he did not regain consciousness, and he subsequently passed away in the hospital.

John's family released the following statement in the wake of his death: "John’s widow Judith, and stepsons Fraser and Lincoln, would like to thank the paramedics, police and all the staff at St Mary’s for the immaculate care John received."

Born in Lancashire, John took an initial job with Rowntree, helping the confectionary company to develop the famous After Eight mint, before moving into journalism. He first ventured into politics in 1966, contesting a Folkestone and Hythe in Kent for Labour, and was then elected as MP for Gateshead West in 1970.

That is a position he held until 1983, when the constituency was abolished, having moved to the now defunct Social Democratic Party at the start of the decade. He joined the Conservatives in 1987, and served as MP for Orpington from 1992 to 2010.

John was named as a working life peer as Baron Horam of Grimsargh in 2013, and has advocated for a living wage, raising the Income Tax threshold, better vocational training and more apprenticeships. He was also made the Patron of the Grimsargh Wetlands Trust.

John, a prominent political figure in Gateshead during the 1970s, is survived by his widow Judith, and stepsons Fraser and Lincoln.

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