Portsmouth MP Stephen Morgan's heartfelt tribute to mentor and hero Lord Frank Judd

Lord Judd, who has died at 86, had played a pivotal role in championing Mr Morgan during his successful 2017 election campaign.

Mr Morgan said: ‘Frank was a truly decent man who always had the time to listen to and support the next generation.

‘I was lucky enough to be one of the many who benefited from this kind part of his nature, when he took me under his wing when I first stood for city council and I continued to consider him a mentor right to the end.

‘He was a tireless human rights campaigner and his dedication and respect for our city and its people is an example I will always judge myself against as another parliamentary representative for Portsmouth ’

Lord Judd served as Royal Navy minister under Harold Wilson’s government and represented the city as an MP for 13 years.

Mr Morgan added: ‘Frank was a truly committed servant to our great city, its people and our history. I held a public meeting with him back in 2018 and it was truly remarkable, although not surprising, to see so many come from far and wide to hear from Frank.’

The Portsmouth South MP got to know Lord Judd well and affectionately recalled one public meeting where the ‘mic failed’ and having to raise his voice to ‘get the questions across’ due to Frank’s hearing problems in his advanced years.

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Mr Morgan said: ‘I’m not sure they all got through, but I think we were all happy to hear his thoughts whether the question got through or not.

‘He was a hero, a Portsmouth great and I will miss him and his cheeky smile deeply. I know the people of Portsmouth will consider Frank as forever part of their own as well.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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