Former Labour MP Phil Woolas dies at 66

Phil Woolas, a former Labour Party minister and member of Parliament, died early Saturday at the age of 66 after battling brain cancer for more than a year, his family and close friends announced.

Woolas, who represented Oldham East and Saddleworth as an MP from 1997 to 2010, served in senior roles under Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. His positions included government whip, deputy leader of the House of Commons, minister for local government, environment minister, and immigration minister. The announcement came in a statement from his family and friends, which noted that Woolas had been fighting glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. "Phil Woolas, former Labour MP and minister, has died aged 66," the statement read. "For more than a year he battled the brain cancer, glioblastoma. He leaves his wife Tracey, his sons Josh and Jed and a new grandson, and many friends and former colleagues who will all miss him greatly."

Before entering politics, Woolas built a diverse career in public service and media. He served as president of the National Union of Students, worked as a television producer, and held the role of communications director for the GMB trade...