Memorial held for Birkenhead champion Frank Field

A memorial service for former Labour minister and crossbench peer Baron Frank Field - who was MP for Birkenhead for 40 years - has been held in his former constituency.

Lord Field, who "championed" Birkenhead and was MP from 1979 to 2019, was buried at Birkenhead Priory before the memorial service paying tribute to the late politician.

Former constituents and political colleagues joined his family at the service at Christ Church in Oxton on Monday.

Lord Field was described as someone who showed "communities aren't voiceless" at the service.

Though originally from London, local politicians and his family said he came to love the town for its people and stood up for them where he could.

He was considered a hugely influential figure in Parliament but a statement read out in the House of Lords on behalf of Lord Field in 2021 revealed he was terminally ill and had spent time in a hospice.

In April 2024, it was announced he had died and tributes came in from across the political spectrum.

Dame Patricia Routledge said Lord Field was “a rare person” and it moved her as someone from Birkenhead how passionate he had been about the town, adding: “I enjoyed a rich friendship with Frank Field for nearly 40 years and we would meet in London and dine together.

"I had wonderful conversations with him.”

People from the Number Seven Cafe and Feeding Britain, two things Lord Field helped set up to help those in food poverty, attended the memorial service, where it was also revealed that Lord Field’s ashes were buried at Birkenhead Priory in a private ceremony.

Those who spoke to the Local Democracy Reporting Service said he was a leader in his approach to politics and his Christian faith, working late hours to help people, lobbying for Cammell Laird shipyard contracts, and how he “played a big part in shaping the culture of our town".

Ema Wilkes, from NEO Community charity, said Lord Field had helped thousands of children through supporting their work, adding: “He never forgot people.

"He just was a really important special man for a lot of people and one that will be deeply missed. He showed communities aren’t voiceless.”

His younger brother, Peter Field, said people had even come up to him with stories from decades ago: “A nicety or a favour is never forgotten in this area, whereas in other parts of the country it might be easily forgotten or conveniently forgotten.

"It’s not conveniently forgotten in Birkenhead. I am very sad this is my first visit to Birkenhead. It feels like home.”

He said his brother “saw something in Birkenhead which possibly nobody else saw", which was the "resilience in the people".

“It’s heart wrenching, really tearful," Mr Field added.

"My daughter said to me 'thank god the service is over in London because that was quite big' and I said 'don’t you worry about that darling because it’s going to be nothing to what Birkenhead does' and I was proved right."

A long-time campaigner for pensioners' rights and against child poverty, he served from 1997 to 1998 as welfare reform minister in Tony Blair's government.

In 2022, he became a Companion of Honour, a title shared by a maximum of 65 people at one time.

He was awarded the Freedom of Wirral in the same year.

Moira McAdam, who is project manager at the Number Seven Cafe, said: “This town meant everything to Frank.

"To choose to be buried here speaks volumes.

"To choose to be laid to rest here that just speaks volumes,” adding: “Frank was very much a Birkonian, a Birkenhead person. He loved the town.”

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