Labour peer died while swimming in River Wye, police say

Labour peer Lord David Lipsey has been found dead after swimming in the River Wye, police have said.

Officers were called to the River Wye in Glasbury on Monday following concerns about the safety of a man who was last seen swimming in the river.

Dyfed Powys Police have now confirmed the body of Lord Lipsey was pulled from the river on Tuesday following a multi-agency search.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer led tributes from the Labour Party, saying the peer “worked tirelessly for what he believed in” and will be “sorely missed” by all who knew him.

Lord Lipsey, 77, who previously worked as a journalist and Downing Street adviser under then prime minister Jim Callaghan, entered the Lords in 1999.

He is also credited with coining the phrases “New Labour” and “winter of discontent”.

A police spokesperson said: “Dyfed-Powys Police received a report concerning the safety of a man who was last seen swimming in the River Wye, Glasbury.

“Following a multi-agency search on July 1, sadly, we can confirm the body of Lord David Lipsey was recovered.

“His next of kin have been informed and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.

“They have asked for their privacy to be respected.”

Paying tribute, Sir Keir said: “David was loved and respected by so many.

“Whether it was his early years as a researcher and adviser, or his quarter of a century in the House of Lords, he worked tirelessly for what he believed in.

“He will be sorely missed by all who were fortunate to know him, in Parliament and beyond.

“My thoughts are with his wife, Margaret, and their family and friends.”

Lord McFall of Alcluith, the Lord Speaker, said the upper chamber extended its “condolences to the noble Lord’s family and friends”.

In the 1970s, Lord Lipsey served as a special adviser to Labour minister and diarist Anthony Crosland and on the staff at 10 Downing Street under Prime Minister Jim Callaghan, later Lord Callaghan.

He also worked on The Sunday Times, New Society and The Economist and co-founded the short-lived Sunday Correspondent in 1988.

He was awarded a life peerage by former prime minister Tony Blair in 1999.

Lord Lipsey was also a fan of greyhound racing, chairing the British Greyhound Racing Board (now called the Great British Greyhound Board) between 2004 and 2009, and worked to get dogs rehomed at the end of their careers.