Frank Field: Labour MP for Birkenhead and Anti-Poverty Campaigner Dies a

Frank Field, Baron Field of Birkenhead, was a British politician and anti-poverty campaigner who represented Birkenhead in Parliament for four decades. Born on July 16, 1942, in Edmonton, Middlesex, he was known for his independent streak and his expertise in welfare and poverty.

Field was MP for Birkenhead from 1979 to 2019, first for Labour and then as an independent from 2018. He served as Minister for Welfare Reform in Tony Blair's government from 1997 to 1998 and resigned after disagreements over policy. In 2010 he led an independent review on poverty for David Cameron's government, and from 2015 to 2019 he chaired the Work and Pensions Select Committee. He was made a life peer in 2020.

Field never married. In January 2023 he revealed that he had lived with prostate cancer for ten years. He died at a care home in London on April 23, 2024, at age 81. Remembered for his moral seriousness and his dedication to the poor, he was respected across the political divide.

Achievements: MP for Birkenhead (1979-2019), Minister for Welfare Reform (1997-1998), led an independent poverty review for the Cameron government (2010), made Baron Field of Birkenhead (2020).

Birth: July 16, 1942 - Edmonton, Middlesex, England.

Profession: Politician, life peer and anti-poverty campaigner.

Interesting Facts: In 1990 he advised Margaret Thatcher to back John Major for the Conservative leadership. In 1983 he helped found Broken Rites, a support group for separated and divorced clergy spouses.