- Phil Woolas, a former Labour minister and MP, has died at the age of 66 after battling brain cancer for over a year.
- He served as the Member of Parliament for Oldham East and Saddleworth from 1997 to 2010 and held various ministerial roles in both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown's governments, including immigration minister.
- Before entering Parliament, Woolas was president of the NUS, a TV producer, and communications director for the GMB union.
- In 2012, he became the first MP in nearly a century to be removed from his seat for making false statements about an opponent during an election campaign.
- His career also included a notable confrontation with actor Joanna Lumley over Gurkha residency rights and chairing The Ace Centre, an Oldham charity.
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