Frank Field, Baron Field of Birkenhead

Frank Ernest Field, Baron Field of Birkenhead CH, PC, DL (16 July 1942 – 23 April 2024) was a British politician. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Birkenhead from 1979 to 2019. He was a Labour MP until August 2018 and later became an Independent.

The Right Honourable The Lord Field of Birkenhead CH, PC, DL
Official portrait, 2017
Chair of the Work and Pensions Select Committee
In office 18 June 2015 – 6 November 2019
Preceded by	Anne Begg
Succeeded by	Stephen Timms
Minister for Welfare Reform
In office 2 May 1997 – 28 July 1998
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Peter Lilley
Succeeded by	John Denham
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
In office 11 September 2020 – 23 April 2024 Life peerage
Member of Parliament for Birkenhead
In office 3 May 1979 – 6 November 2019
Preceded by	Edmund Dell
Succeeded by	Mick Whitley
Member of Hounslow Council for Turnham Green
In office 7 May 1964 – 9 May 1968
Personal details
Born	(1942-07-16)16 July 1942 Edmonton, Middlesex, England
Died	23 April 2024(2024-04-23) (aged 81) London, England
Nationality	British
Political party	Non-affiliated
Other political affiliations	Birkenhead Social Justice (2019) Independent (2018–2019) Labour (1960–2018) Conservative (before 1960)
Alma mater	University of Hull
Website	www.frankfield.co.uk

From 1997 to 1998, Field was the Minister of Welfare Reform in Tony Blair's first cabinet

Field was elected Chair of the Work and Pensions Select Committee in June 2015, and after the 2017 general election was re-elected.^[1]

In August 2018, Field resigned the Labour whip because of allegations of anti-semitism in the party and protesting Jeremy Corbyn's party leadership.^[2][3]

On 22 October 2021, Field announced that he was in hospice care for a terminal illness.^[4]

References

1. "Chair nominations for Work and Pensions Committee". Parliament.uk. 7 July 2017. Archived from the original on 25 May 2019. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
2. "Frank Field Letter of Resignation". 30 August 2018. Archived from the original on 31 August 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
3. "Frank Field has resigned from Labour, says general secretary". The Guardian. 5 September 2018. Archived from the original on 15 April 2019. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
4. "Ex-MP Frank Field reveals he is close to death". BBC News. 2021-10-22. Retrieved 2021-10-23.