'Sunny Jim' Callaghan has died

FORMER Labour Prime Minister James Callaghan, known as 'Sunny Jim' to a generation, died yesterday, 11 days after the death of his beloved wife Audrey. Lord Callaghan, who would have been 93 today, died in the same hospice that cared for the woman to whom he had been married for 67 years.

The Queen and Tory and Labour politicians joined in tributes last night to the remarkable man who battled valiantly to keep his party in power in the face of economic turmoil and strikes called by powerful union barons.

Buckingham Palace said: 'The Queen has been informed of Lord Callaghan's death and she is sending a private message of sympathy to the family.'

His nickname derived from his avuncular nature and was one of the reasons he earned the affection and respect of the Queen, who is said to have regarded him as her favourite Labour Prime Minister. But it also disguised a steely ambition that took him from a poverty-stricken background to 10 Downing Street.

Lord Callaghan of Cardiff was the longest living Prime Minister in British history and uniquely held the four major offices of State -Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary.

He became Prime Minister in 1976 after the surprise resignation of Harold Wilson and had to sustain his premiership with the contentious Lib-Lab pact. But in spite of his personal popularity, he will be remembered as the man who presided over the notorious Winter of Discontent of strikes in 1978 that led to the rise to power of Margaret Thatcher.

A low point came when he returned tired and jet-lagged from a meeting of world leaders in Guadeloupe in the Caribbean in January 1979. A freezing Britain was crippled by strikes, the dead were not being buried and the streets were overflowing with rubbish as a result of a dustmen's strike.

Asked by reporters about the crisis, he said: 'I don't think other people in the world would share the view that there is mounting chaos.' It prompted the headline in The Sun newspaper: 'Crisis? What Crisis?' Although he never actually said the words, the impression that he was trying to make light of the situation caused enormous damage.

Tony Blair said: 'Jim Callaghan was one of the giants of the Labour movement. His long and active life almost spans the history of the party he served so superbly. He worked tirelessly to put into action the values of social justice, solidarity and opportunity for all, which brought him into politics.

'He was one of the generation who fought in the war and came back determined to build a better, fairer and different Britain in peace. He was a patriot, a loyal servant of party and country and a devoted husband and father. His love for Audrey was very special.'

Tory leader Michael Howard said: 'Lord Callaghan's distinguished career was marked by many highs and lows. He will be remembered with affection and respect.'

And Lady Thatcher said: 'He was a formidable opponent, one who could best me across the Dispatch Box. In other circumstances he could have been a successful Prime Minister. He was a superb party manager. Despite our disagreements I always respected him because I know that he was moved by a deep patriotism.'

Chancellor Gordon Brown said: 'While Jim rose to the top he never forgot his roots. And in all the positions he held with distinction, his lifelong commitment was to help those most in need.'