Labour leadership candidate Sir Keir Starmer's mother-in-law has died two weeks after an accident left her critically ill in hospital.
Sir Keir, 57, had cancelled a series of campaign events for the second time this weekend as his mother-in-law remained in intensive care.
The shadow cabinet member was due to take part in hustings with other candidates in the battle to succeed Jeremy Corbyn on Saturday and Sunday.
Jenny Chapman, chair of Sir Keir's campaign, tweeted: "My thoughts and prayers are with Keir Starmer and his family.
"Keir’s mother-in-law died yesterday following an accident two weeks ago.
"Thank you to everyone for being so kind and supportive and for respecting his family’s privacy at this difficult time."
After the weekend events were cancelled, a spokesperson for Sir Keir, the MP for Holborn and St Pancras, said: "Since being admitted to hospital two weeks ago, Keir's mother-in-law remains in a critical condition in intensive care.
"For this reason, he will be cancelling all campaign events this weekend and will be unable to attend hustings.
"We ask that his family's privacy is respected at this time."
Sir Keir pulled out of campaign events for a number of days in January after his mother-in-law was admitted to hospital following an accident.
At the time the shadow cabinet member thanked people for their "support and kindness" in what he said had been - and would continue to be - a "very difficult time".
Polls have regularly been suggesting that Sir Keir is likely to come out on top in the leadership ballot in which he is pitted against Rebecca Long-Bailey, Emily Thornberry and Lisa Nandy.
Last month he said her condition was "awful" and it was a "very, very difficult" time for his family.
He also hit back at an interviewer's question on whether it was "racist to say there are too many foreigners in Britain".
He told BBC Radio 5 Live's Nicky Campbell: "Can I just say how uncomfortable I am about that just at the moment.
"We've just spent four days in intensive care with my mother-in-law where there are people of every nationality giving her the most incredible care.
"And therefore pitching this debate in that way I think is... just got to be very very careful."
Sir Keir married his wife Victoria in 2007. The couple have two children and live in North London, according to the Ham & High.
The Labour leadership candidate keeps his family out of the public eye and does not generally comment on his private life.
However, he has spoken about how his upbringing shaped his politics.
Sir Keir recently told the Mirror how his own mother's illness forced him to confront the importance of Britain's health service.
He said: “My mum contracted Stills disease when she was 11. It’s when your immune system turns on itself.
“She was told she wouldn’t be able to walk when she was in her 20s.
“She was the longest patient on steroids in the history of Britain.
“It allowed her to walk in her 20s and 30s. It took a terrible toll on her.
“I spent a lot of my time in high-dependency units with my mum watching nurses saving her life.
“I saw that as a child, I saw it as a teenager. It is very, very personal.”
