Iain Coleman Obituary

Iain Coleman, nan erstwhile MP for Hammersmith and Fulham, who has died aged 67, was renowned wrong his westbound London constituency for a argumentation of free societal attraction proviso astatine home, thing he had fought to present successful nan area during his activity of nan section assembly successful nan 1990s earlier he was elected to parliament successful nan Labour landslide of 1997.

Through a sadistic irony, nan bid of strokes that curtailed his progressive governmental profession meant that he himself would latterly become a major beneficiary of this very scheme.

His socialist authorities were fired by an inherent societal compassion and a conscientious interest for those – successful particular, bum group – he thought had been near down by society, and he dedicated his moving life to attempting to usage governmental powerfulness successful bid to amended nan lives of others.

Coleman’s first occupation connected leaving schoolhouse had been arsenic a attraction worker successful a attraction location successful Kent, nan region wherever he was raised. Subsequently he was employed arsenic a section authorities serviceman successful nan London boroughs of Ealing (from 1986) and past Islington (from 1990), contemporaneously pinch his first 13 years arsenic an elected councillor successful Hammersmith and Fulham. After an first succession of strokes successful 2004 he retired from parliament astatine nan wide predetermination nan pursuing year, but returned to agency arsenic a councillor successful nan borough from 2010 until 2014.

Coleman was wide recognised arsenic a highly skilful governmental strategist. He worked hard, was an effective assembly leader (from 1991 until 1996) and did a awesome woody to beforehand nan Labour statement origin successful nan highly marginal borough. He was what is known successful governmental circles, usually admiringly, arsenic an usability – personification who could make things hap done manoeuvring down nan scenes. When first elected arsenic a councillor successful 1986, he won nan two-member Avonmore ward from nan Conservatives pinch Sally Powell, who became his woman successful 1996.

They formed a powerful political duo connected nan council, where Coleman became nan leader, and politician successful 1996-97, while Powell chaired nan situation committee and then chair of planning. She later became a personnel of Labour’s nationalist executive.

Coleman was calved successful Hammersmith, nan 2nd boy and mediate of 3 children of Pamela (nee Betts) and Ronald Coleman. His begetter was a businessman, later nan main executive of Ann Summers, and some parents were past Conservative supporters. The family lived successful Tunbridge Wells, Kent, and Iain and his elder brother, Neale, were some knowledgeable astatine Tonbridge school. Iain credited nan history coach location for his preamble to socialism. Neale besides entered Labour authorities arsenic an elected Westminster metropolis councillor, and arsenic a argumentation advisor some to Ken Livingstone, erstwhile politician of London, and nan erstwhile Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. Their mother switched her allegiance to Labour, was elected arsenic a councillor successful Barnet, northbound London, successful 1990 and served arsenic politician of Barnet successful 1997.

Iain did not do good successful nan schoolroom and near schoolhouse earlier studying for A-levels. It was only arsenic an adult, erstwhile his six-year-old boy received a test of dyspraxia, which affects co-ordination skills, that he learned that he besides suffered from nan aforesaid condition. It did supply an mentation of why he had taken nan driving trial 45 times earlier yet securing a pass.

On nan crest of nan activity that swept Tony Blair into power, Coleman won nan recently created spot of Hammersmith and Fulham pinch a mostly of 3,842. In a maiden reside connected section authorities finance, he sought to explicate nan socially divergent quality of his constituency, telling MPs that nan borough he had truthful precocious led suffered awesome poverty. The glitzy vino bars and costly restaurants of nan borough were balanced by nan truth that 35% of households were limited connected benefit, 53% of superior schoolchildren were entitled to free school meals – double nan nationalist mean – and nan decease complaint of men nether nan property of 60 was 60% higher than average.

Coleman was a diligent MP and a powerful sound for his constituency. The different rule issues he espoused were nan Palestinian origin and nan early of Ireland. He had a adjacent circle of friends successful Labour politics, but, possibly predictably, fixed his beardown convictions, did not spot oculus to oculus pinch everyone. He had a beardown consciousness of fun, enjoyed cooking and was a passionately enthusiastic protagonist of Arsenal FC.

In 2001, he narrowly held his seat, by 2,015 votes. After leaving parliament, he recovered from his first strokes but aft a further incidence and a full of 20 strokes succumbed to early onset dementia. His woman wrote a powerful letter, published successful the Guardian soon earlier past year’s wide election, arguing for nan inclusion of free societal attraction to beryllium included successful nan party’s manifesto and enacted by each section authority.

Coleman is survived by Sally and their son, Jack, and by his brother, Neale, and sister, Helen.