Patrick Duffy (British politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Patrick Duffy
KCSG
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| Member of Parliament for Sheffield Attercliffe |
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| In office 18 June 1970 – 16 March 1992 |
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| Preceded by | John Hynd |
| Succeeded by | Clive Betts |
| Member of Parliament for Colne Valley |
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| In office 21 March 1963 – 10 March 1966 |
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| Preceded by | Glenvil Hall |
| Succeeded by | Richard Wainwright |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Albert Edward Patrick Duffy
17 June 1920 Wigan, Lancashire, England |
| Died | 2 January 2026 (aged 105) Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England |
| Political party | Labour |
| Alma mater | London School of Economics Columbia University |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Navy |
| Service years | 1940–1946 |
| Rank | Commander |
| Unit | Fleet Air Arm |
| Commands | HMS Implacable |
| Conflict | Battle of Britain |
Sir Albert Edward Patrick Duffy, often known as Sir Patrick Duffy, was an important British economist and politician. He was a member of the Labour Party. Sir Patrick served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for two different areas: first for Colne Valley from 1963 to 1966, and then for Sheffield Attercliffe from 1970 to 1992. He also held significant roles as a Minister of the Navy in the 1970s and later as the president of the NATO Assembly in the 1980s. Sir Patrick Duffy was known for his long life. After another former MP, Ronald Atkins, passed away in 2020, Sir Patrick became the oldest living former MP in Britain. He then lived even longer than Mr. Atkins, becoming the longest-lived MP in British history. He passed away on January 2, 2026, at the age of 105.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Patrick Duffy was born in Wigan, Lancashire, England, on June 17, 1920. His parents, James and Margaret Duffy, were Irish Catholic immigrants from a village in County Mayo, Ireland. His father and grandfather had moved to England to work in farming. James Duffy later worked as a miner in Wigan before his family moved to Rossington, a mining village near Doncaster, in 1925. Patrick Duffy continued to live in Doncaster for many years.
Military Service and Recovery
During World War II, Patrick Duffy served in the Fleet Air Arm, which is the part of the Royal Navy that operates aircraft. He was seriously injured when his plane crashed near Scapa Flow in Orkney. Despite his injuries, he was treated by a famous surgeon, Harold Gillies, and recovered. He left the military in 1946 with the rank of Commander.
Academic Pursuits and Teaching Career
Patrick Duffy became interested in politics while studying at the London School of Economics. He also studied at Columbia University in New York, where he earned his degree and a Doctorate of Law. After his studies, he became a professor at Leeds University, teaching there from 1950 to 1963 and again from 1967 to 1970. He also worked as a visiting professor at other universities, including Drew University in New Jersey, the Thunderbird School of Global Management, and Wheaton College (Illinois).
Political Journey in Parliament
Early Attempts and First Term as MP
Patrick Duffy first tried to become a Member of Parliament (MP) in 1950 for the area of Tiverton. This area was usually won by the Conservative Party, but he ran for election there three times. Later, he moved to the Colne Valley area, which he won in a special election called a by-election in 1963. He served as the MP for Colne Valley until the general election in 1966, when he lost to Richard Wainwright from the Liberal Party.
Representing Sheffield Attercliffe
In 1970, he was chosen to represent Sheffield Attercliffe, an area that strongly supported the Labour Party. He won this election and became an MP in the House of Commons. He continued to win elections in Sheffield Attercliffe with large majorities until he stepped down in 1992.
Roles in Government and Opposition
During his time in government, Patrick Duffy served as a Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Defence from 1974 to 1976. He then became a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence, specifically for the Royal Navy, from 1976 to 1979 under Prime Minister Jim Callaghan. After the Labour Party lost the general election in 1979, Duffy became a spokesperson for the opposition on defence issues from 1979 to 1981 and again from 1983 to 1984.
Political Stances and Notable Moments
Sir Patrick was known as a "moderate" within the Labour Party. He strongly supported Britain being part of Europe and was against getting rid of nuclear weapons without other countries doing the same. He supported Brexit, Britain's decision to leave the European Union, in 2016. He felt that the creation of the Eurozone (the group of countries using the Euro currency) made the European Union less practical.
In 1981, a difficult situation arose involving Irish prisoners. Patrick Duffy was the only member of the British Parliament to speak out against the government's approach at the time. He believed the government's actions showed a lack of understanding in dealing with the situation in Ireland. These comments caused a lot of discussion, but he also received many letters of support from around the world. Interestingly, despite this disagreement, he later became friends with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher when he was appointed President of the NATO Assembly.
Patrick Duffy retired from Parliament in 1992. He once joked that he spent most of his 25 years in Parliament as part of the opposition, meaning his party was not in power. He remained involved in politics, serving as president of the Labour Life Group.
International Leadership and Recognition
President of the NATO Assembly
Beyond his work in the British Parliament, Patrick Duffy played a significant role on the international stage. He was the president of the North Atlantic Assembly, which is the parliamentary part of NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization). During his time, delegations from the Warsaw Pact nations (countries that were rivals to NATO during the Cold War) visited for the first time.
In 1991, he led the first group of Western parliament members to visit the Kremlin in Russia. That same year, Queen Elizabeth II made him a Knight for his important contributions to NATO. This meant he could be called Sir Patrick Duffy. He believed NATO was a very impressive international organization. He was president of the NATO Assembly as the Cold War was ending in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During this time, he also met privately with Pope John Paul II. Many believed Sir Patrick was a major force in helping to end the Cold War. In 1993, he received an honorary degree from Dominican University.
Ongoing Contributions and Influence
Sir Patrick also served as Deputy Chair of the Atlantic Council of the UK. He was a member of advisory boards for defence and international security studies at several universities, including Hull, Lancaster, and York. He also lectured at Azusa Pacific University.
Even in his later years, Sir Patrick Duffy remained interested in politics. He stated in 2020 that he would always be a supporter of the Labour Party. He followed the political debates in Britain and shared his opinions on current leaders.
Personal Life and Enduring Legacy
Author, Traveler, and Faith
In 2014, Patrick Duffy shared his life story in an autobiography called Growing Up Irish in Britain, British in Ireland and in Washington, Moscow, Rome and Sydney. He published a second book in 2024, titled From Wigan to Westminster: Hot Wars, Cold Wars and the Carrier Strike Groups.
He was a practicing Catholic. Even in his 80s, he completed the El Camino Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage six years in a row. This involved walking 25 kilometers (about 15.5 miles) a day for 35 days. In 2017, at the age of 96, he was honored as a Knight Commander of the Order of St. Gregory the Great.
A Remarkable Centenarian
Sir Patrick Duffy celebrated his 100th birthday on June 17, 2020, at his home in Doncaster. He also had a home in County Roscommon, Ireland. When asked about the secret to his long life, he mentioned that he never smoked, preferred walking over using a car, and enjoyed reading. After the death of his colleague Ronald Atkins in December 2020, Sir Patrick became the oldest living former MP in Britain. He lived to be 105 years old, making him the longest-lived MP in British history.
Sir Patrick Duffy passed away in Doncaster on January 2, 2026.
