Last week I attended the funeral of James Callaghan, who had a long and distinguished career of service to the community.
He had been a teacher, an elected local councillor and a Member of Parliament and in all three roles he achieved much and was remembered with great fondness.
And he was also a brother to my friend Joe, and an uncle to Joe’s three daughters.
I never met Mr Callaghan although as we both were active in the Labour Party it was always a possibility that we would bump into each other, but I heard a lot about him from Joe, and I was well aware that as an MP he was instrumental in the introduction of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Act to improve access and parking for disabled people in the workplace.
He also campaigned on many other issues voting for a ban on smoking in public places in 1990 and was regarded as a committed constituency MP, a record which was reflected by the fact that he won six successive elections to Parliament, increasing his majority each time.
The service was a family affair but given Mr Callaghan’s contribution to the community there were many there who counted him a friend and a colleague.
And so it is fitting that of all the honours that he could have accepted it was the being made a Freeman of Rochdale in 1996 which he treasured.
Joe told me that "Jim found it a great honour to be recognised by the local representatives of the people in Rochdale.
He was offered other honours in Westminster which he refused and the Freemanship of Rochdale was the only one he accepted, which is why the Heywood Advertiser headlined his passing with the words 'Peoples Champion MP dies at age 91.. ' I have his Freemanship Certificate on my wall!”
And that I think is a fitting tribute.
Picture; the Order of Service, 2018, courtesy of the Callaghan family
And he was also a brother to my friend Joe, and an uncle to Joe’s three daughters.
I never met Mr Callaghan although as we both were active in the Labour Party it was always a possibility that we would bump into each other, but I heard a lot about him from Joe, and I was well aware that as an MP he was instrumental in the introduction of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Act to improve access and parking for disabled people in the workplace.
He also campaigned on many other issues voting for a ban on smoking in public places in 1990 and was regarded as a committed constituency MP, a record which was reflected by the fact that he won six successive elections to Parliament, increasing his majority each time.
The service was a family affair but given Mr Callaghan’s contribution to the community there were many there who counted him a friend and a colleague.
Joe told me that "Jim found it a great honour to be recognised by the local representatives of the people in Rochdale.
He was offered other honours in Westminster which he refused and the Freemanship of Rochdale was the only one he accepted, which is why the Heywood Advertiser headlined his passing with the words 'Peoples Champion MP dies at age 91.. ' I have his Freemanship Certificate on my wall!”
And that I think is a fitting tribute.
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