Labour MP for Birmingham Erdington Jack Dromey passed away on Friday at the age of 73.
He began representing the long-considered safe Labour seat in 2010 and secured a majority of 3,601 in 2019.
Dromey, along with fellow MP and wife Harriet Harman, was a well-known figure in the House of Commons.
Labour leader Keir Starmer said: "The proud son of Irish parents, Jack Dromey dedicated his life to standing up for working people through the Labour movement, becoming Deputy General Secretary of the UK’s largest trade union and then a Labour MP."
One of the minister's final acts as an MP was to participate in the debate on the resettlement of Afghan refugees only a day before his death.
"Jack was recognised for his determination to stand up for his constituents and he was highly respected and warmly regarded across Parliament," said Starmer
"My thoughts and those of the whole Labour movement are with Harriet, their children and all those who knew and loved Jack."
Who was MP Jack Dromey?
Born in 1948, Jack Dromey was an MP for the Birmingham Erdington constituency, first elected in 2010.
Before being elected as an MP, Dromey was an old school Labourite, working as a trade unionist. He held a senior role as Deputy General Secretary of the Transport and General Workers Union, which later became known as Unite.
Dromey held a range of shadow ministerial positions, such as Shadow Minister for Housing, as well as policing, labour, pensions and paymaster general.
The latest reshuffle by Labour leader Keir Stamer saw Dromey move to Shadow Minister for Immigration.
Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said: "Jack Dromey was a great mentor and supporter to me but above all a friend for many years.
"This is absolutely tragic news for his family, his constituents and the party. I am thinking of Harriet and the rest of his family. He will be greatly missed."
What did Jack Dromey die of?
Labour MP Jack Dromey is understood to have passed away from natural causes.
His son Joe tweeted: "Our dad - Jack - died suddenly today. We loved him so, so much. Rest in peace big man x."
A statement issued on behalf of the family said: "He had been a dedicated member of parliament for Birmingham Erdington since 2010. He was a much loved husband, father and grandfather, and he will be greatly missed."
Jack Dromey's family
The Birmingham Erdington MP is survived by his wife and fellow MP Harriet Harman and their three children, Harry, Joseph and Amy.
Harman announced last month that she would be standing down at the next election.
The MP for Camberwell and Peckham is one of the Labour party's most recognisable faces, serving as deputy leader between 2007 to 2015 and is the Commons' recognised Mother of the House.
The two are reported to have met in 1977 on the picket line for the strike by workers of the Grunwick film processing laboratory in London. The pair then married in 1982.
Grunwick strikers were mainly workers of South Asian origin and became significant as a landmark strike that brought attention to ethnic minority workers in the UK.
Dromey wrote about the importance of the strike for the Mirror in 2017.
Jack Dromey is survived by his wife Harriet, sons Harry and Joe and daughter Amy.
