Labour MPs have paid tribute to former colleague Marsha Singh who has died four months after quitting the Commons due to ill health.

Mr Singh announced he was stepping down in March after representing Bradford West since the Labour landslide of 1997.

In one of the biggest UK by-election shocks, his 18,000-plus majority was then overturned by Respect's George Galloway .

 

Shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna wrote on Twitter: "So sad to hear of the death of our colleague and friend.

"All our thoughts go out to his family at this difficult time."

Mr Singh, who was a ministerial aide and served on the home affairs and international development select committees, leaves two children and two stepchildren.

Penistone and Stocksbridge MP Angela Smith described him as "a lovely, warm man of great integrity".

At the time he stepped down to fight serious illness, he described his passion for Bradford, where he grew up and his son and daughter were born.

He told his local newspaper that his proudest achievement was steering through private member's legislation restricting the amount of capital a local authority can take into account when deciding whether someone is entitled to residential accommodation.