Death of Alan Clark

Tributes from across the spectrum

Liberal Democrat health spokesman Simon Hughes said: "In and out of government Alan Clark was one of the few great characters of the present House of Commons. Colourful, courageous, idiosyncratic, talented and principled, Alan Clark was a perpetual reminder of the benefit of the strong, individual MP standing up to over-ambitious power of government and the party whips."

As for the famous Clark diaries, Mr Hughes described them as "a continuing political memorial but they will be no substitute for the man himself - he will be sorely missed."

Former Prime Minister Baroness Thatcher described Mr Clark as "a doughty parliamentarian, an accomplished historian and a Tory to his fingertips. "Politics is poorer and the world duller with his passing."

Tory peer Lord Gilmour, who was a minister in Margaret Thatcher's first administration, said: "He was an original and unique politician, who enlivened the House of Commons when he was in it and very good company when he was outside it."

His long-suffering wife, the former Jane Beuttler, whom he married when she was 16 and he was 30, once said. "He's absolutely dreadful. ... But I still love him." One of his former girlfriends showed up on their honeymoon.

In a statement, Mr Clark's constituency party, the Kensington and Chelsea Conservative Association said: "It is with enormous sadness that the association has learned of the death of Alan Clark. He was a remarkable and inspirational member of Parliament who won a large number of friends across the constituency during the all-too-short time that he was our MP."

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