Tony Lloyd facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sir Tony Lloyd MP
Official portrait, 2021
Mayor of Greater Manchester
Interim 29 May 2015 – 8 May 2017
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Andy Burnham
Greater Manchester Police and Crime Commissioner
In office 22 November 2012 – 8 May 2017
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Office abolished
Chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party
In office 5 December 2006 – 15 March 2012
Party Leader	Tony Blair Gordon Brown Harriet Harman (acting) Ed Miliband
Preceded by	Ann Clwyd
Succeeded by	David Watts
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
In office 5 May 1997 – 28 July 1999
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Nicholas Bonsor
Succeeded by	John Battle
Member of Parliament for Rochdale
In office 8 June 2017 – 17 January 2024
Preceded by	Simon Danczuk
Succeeded by	TBD
Parliamentary offices Member of Parliament for Manchester Central In office 1 May 1997 – 22 October 2012 Preceded by Bob Litherland Succeeded by Lucy Powell Member of Parliament for Stretford In office 9 June 1983 – 8 April 1997 Preceded by Winston Churchill Succeeded by Beverley Hughes
Shadow portfolios Shadow Secretary of State 2019–2020 Scotland 2018–2020 Northern Ireland Shadow Minister 2017–2018 Housing 1995–1997 Foreign Affairs 1994–1995 Local Government 1992–1994 Education and Training 1988–1992 Employment 1987–1988 Transport
Personal details
Born	Anthony Joseph Lloyd (1950-02-25)25 February 1950 Stretford, Lancashire, England
Died	17 January 2024(2024-01-17) (aged 73)
Political party	Labour
Spouse	Judith Tear ​ (m. 1974)​
Children	4
Alma mater	University of Nottingham (BSc) Manchester Business School (DipBA)

Sir Anthony Joseph Lloyd (born 25 February 1950 – died 17 January 2024) was a British politician from the Labour Party. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for many years. He represented Stretford from 1983 to 1997 and Manchester Central from 1997 to 2012. Later, he represented Rochdale from 2017 until he passed away.

Sir Tony also served as the Greater Manchester Police and Crime Commissioner from 2012 to 2017. In his last year in that role, he was the temporary Mayor of Greater Manchester. He was known as a significant figure in Labour politics in Greater Manchester.

Early Life and Family

Sir Tony Lloyd was born in Stretford on 25 February 1950. He was the fourth of five children. He grew up in Stretford and went to Stretford Grammar School for Boys.

He studied mathematics at the University of Nottingham and later business at Manchester Business School. Before becoming a politician, he taught Business Studies at the University of Salford.

His mother, Cecily, was a strong supporter of the Labour Party. She taught him about fighting for what is right and fair. Sir Tony believed that politics should always be about justice.

In 1974, Sir Tony married Judith Tear. They had four children together. He was a big fan of Manchester United.

Political Journey

Starting in Local Government

Sir Tony first became involved in politics in 1979. He was elected as a Labour Party councillor for the Clifford ward on the Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council. He served as a councillor until 1984 and became the Deputy Labour Council Leader.

Serving in the House of Commons

Sir Tony became an MP for Stretford on 9 June 1983. This was after the 1983 general election. He worked as an opposition whip from 1986 to 1987.

He then became a spokesperson for the opposition on different topics. These included transport (1987–1992), employment (1992–1994), environment (1994–1995), and foreign affairs (1995–1997).

In 1997, the areas MPs represented changed. Sir Tony was then elected for the Manchester Central area. He continued to be elected for this area until 2010.

After the 1997 election, when Tony Blair became Prime Minister, Sir Tony was appointed a junior Minister of State in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. He held this role from May 1997 to July 1999.

Later, on 5 December 2006, he became the Chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party. This role means leading all Labour MPs. He held this position until 2012.

Sir Tony often voted for policies that helped ordinary people. He voted against student tuition fees and against keeping nuclear weapons. He supported changes to the House of Lords and the use of identity cards.

He also led British delegations to international groups. These included the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). He was head of the OSCE when it watched the 2010 Belarusian presidential election. He said that election was not fair.

Interim Mayor for Greater Manchester

On 29 May 2015, Sir Tony was appointed as the temporary Mayor for Greater Manchester. He announced in February 2016 that he wanted to become the Labour Party's official candidate for the 2017 Greater Manchester Mayoral Elections.

However, Andy Burnham was chosen as the Labour candidate in August. Sir Tony came in second place.

Returning to Parliament

In May 2017, Sir Tony was chosen to run as the Labour candidate for Rochdale. He won the election with a large majority.

He was appointed as a Shadow Housing Minister in July 2017. In March 2018, he became the Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. In December 2019, he also became the Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland.

In April 2020, he had to step down from his front bench roles because he became ill with coronavirus. After recovering, he focused on his work as an MP for his local area.

In 2021, he was honored with a knighthood for his public service. This meant he could be called "Sir Tony Lloyd".

Later Life and Passing

In January 2023, Sir Tony shared that he was receiving treatment for cancer. He reduced his attendance in parliament to focus on his health.

In January 2024, he announced that his cancer had become an aggressive and untreatable form of leukaemia. He chose to stop hospital treatment. Sir Tony Lloyd passed away on 17 January 2024, at the age of 73.