A Conservative and a long-term Eurosceptic, he was first elected in Margaret Thatcher’s 1983 landslide.
Raised as a Roman Catholic, he was known politically as a social conservative and as a prominent campaigner against abortion and on animal welfare issues.
Unsurprisingly the Brexiteer voted Leave in the 2016 referendum.
Popular
He was also known for his championing of his constituency town Southend, in Essex, including a long-running campaign to win it city status.
The married father-of-five also took some less traditional Conservative positions – including campaigning against fox-hunting.
An animal lover, the MP for Southend West was regularly pictured posing with dogs and called for a ban on animal testing last month.
Despite his true-blue credentials he was popular across the political divide, known also as a true family man and a hard-working constituency MP.
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