Former Birkenhead MP Frank Field given freedom of Wirral

Frank Field has been given the freedom of the borough after 40 years as Birkenhead's MP.

Lord Field, now a crossbench peer, was awarded the honour at an extraordinary meeting of Wirral Council tonight.

He has been a huge figure in national politics for more than four decades.

Praised for his tireless work on poverty and standing up for disabled people hit by benefit reforms, Lord Field also drew criticism for writing columns for The Sun newspaper and voting for both Theresa May's and Boris Johnson's Brexit deal.

His career as an MP ended at the 2019 General Election after he stood for his own party against Labour and lost, following his decision to quit the party after 39 years as one of its MPs in August 2018, citing anti-semitism and bullying in the party.

In October, Lord Field revealed that he was terminally ill and had spent time in a hospice.

The proposer of Lord Field's freedom of the borough, Independent councillor Moira McLaughlin, was not able to attend the meeting as she was in London with Lord Field himself.

Her endorsement of the honour, read out by Cllr George Davies, Wirral Council's Civic Mayor, said Frank Field worked tirelessly to eliminate the causes of poverty and its impact on families.

Cllr Janette Williamson, Wirral Council's Labour leader, said despite Lord Field leaving the party in 2018 he had always had the love and respect of Birkenhead residents and had created huge shoes for the current MP Mick Whitley to fill.

Fellow Labour councillor Steve Foulkes also paid tribute to Lord Field.

Cllr Foulkes said people in the town had an instant respect for Frank whenever he was out on the street, a respect which does not come lightly.

Cllr Foulkes passed on the endorsement of Mr Whitley, who succeeded Lord Field as the town's MP in 2019, and said the Labour MP thanked his predecessor for this 40 years of loyal service to Birkenhead.

Lord Field's eagerness to address the causes of poverty were apparent even before he first won his Birkenhead seat in 1979.

In 1969, he became the director of the Child Poverty Action Group and led the Low Pay Unit from 1974-1980.

He served as welfare reform minister in Tony Blair's first government in 1997 with a remit to "think the unthinkable" and went on to chair the Work and Pensions Select Committee.

Lord Field remained in the post of welfare reform minister for little over a year following policy clashes with the Prime Minister and then Chancellor Gordon Brown.

He continued working on welfare reform issues after being dropped as a minister.

As chairman of the Commons Work and Pensions Committee, he campaigned against the way Universal Credit was being rolled out, and had a number of colourful clashes, most notably with former BHS boss Sir Philip Green.

Before Lord Field received his honour, the local authority gave former Labour councillor Jean Stapleton the title of Honorary Alderwoman.

Heswall Conservative councillor Andrew Hodson said even though the two were on opposite sides in politics, Jean always conducted herself in a measured and courteous manner.

He added that she was a pleasure to work with and proved how politically opposed councillors could work together.

Cllr Williamson said she was really proud to look up to Jean as a friend, a mentor and a colleague. The council leader added that the award was so well deserved.