Catholic MP dies at 60 after collapsing while running

TRIBUTES FROM church leaders and politicians flooded in this week for Paul Goggins, who died in hospital on Tuesday.

The 60-year-old Labour MP for Wythenshawe and Sale East had suffered a brain haemorrhage while out running on 30 December and soon after underwent emergency surgery at Salford Royal Hospital.

Mr Goggins, a former seminarian, was chairman of the trustees of the Cardinal Hume Centre, founder of the All-Party Parliamentary Friends of Cafod, the Catholic aid agency (he also served on its board), and a former national director for Church Action on Poverty.

Bishops and politicians have paid tribute to Mr Goggins’ strong faith, which they said motivated his public service.

The Archbishop of Southwark, Peter Smith, said: “His Catholic faith shaped and informed his passion and commitment to politics, and his lifelong vocation to social justice, combating poverty and exclusion.”

Bishop John Arnold, chairman of Cafod’s trustees, said Mr Goggins’ commitment to justice “knew no bounds” and described him as an inspiration.

Mr Goggins’ constituency was part of the Diocese of Shrewsbury whose bishop, Mark Davies, said: “Paul’s public life and service was motivated so much by his faith and his contribution to local and national life will be greatly missed.” Mr Goggins was a member of the diocese’s focus group on the New Evangelisation.

Labour leader Ed Miliband described Mr Goggins as “a man of deep faith whose commitment and strong values shone through everything he did”, while fellow Catholic MP, Andy Burnham, the shadow Health Secretary, said he was a man of “faith, principle and deep convictions”.

Mr Goggins, who voted against same-sex marriage last year, was elected as MP for Wythenshawe and Sale East in 1997 and appointed as a junior Home Office minister in 2003.

He also served as a Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office.