Ealing Southall MP dies aged 82

6.17.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 20th Jun 2007

The MP for Ealing Southall, Piara Khabra, has sadly died aged 82. He had been the Labour MP for Ealing Southall since the 1992 General Election. The oldest member of the House of Commons, Mr Khabra, was reported as having been been undergoing treatment for liver problems.

Tony Blair has led tributes to the MP, saying:

"He was a tremendous servant to his constituents. He will be greatly missed and our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this time."

Last summer Jo, as the youngest MP in the House, interviewed Piara Khabra, as the oldest MP in the House, for a special podcast. You can listen to this podcast by going to http://politicsondemand.co.uk/podcasts/audio/Politics_On_Demand_Jo_Swinson_009-270706.mp3

At the 2005 General Election, the Liberal Democrats came second in Ealing Southall with almost 25% of the vote. The full results can be seen at http://ealinglibdems.org.uk/results/903.html