The unanticipated and deeply sad news of Patrick O’Flynn’s death is a blow to so many – not just to his close family but also to those in the world of politics and journalism and for many throughout the country.
Patrick was a fine journalist, a true gentleman and one of the nicest people you would ever meet in public life
I first met Patrick in a pub with David Goodhart in 2018 and got to know him well in the following eight years throughout our – sometimes forlorn – efforts to revive the Social Democratic party. As a prominent and influential Eurosceptic political journalist – and Ukip MEP – we were delighted when Patrick joined us. I personally was thrilled. And since Patrick was better known and far more experienced than myself, naturally, I asked him to lead the party. Alas, Paddy was far too wise to accept, and when he returned from his stint in Brussels he sensibly concentrated on rebuilding his career as a political journalist – although he pluckily stood for the SDP in the 2019 Peterborough by-election and later chaired the party’s London branch.
Patrick had a talent for bringing people together and – for a serial political party member – he remained surprisingly non-partisan, particularly if he felt the national interest was at stake.
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