Michael Foot, former British Labour Party leader dies, aged 96

Michael Foot, whose left-wing leadership of Britain's Labour party in the early 1980s prompted a split which paved the way for the modernising Tony Blair, died yesterday aged 96, the party said.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown led tributes to Mr Foot, known for his unkempt appearance, eccentric manner and sharp intellect when he led Labour from 1980 to 1983 before quitting after a heavy election defeat by Margaret Thatcher.

"Michael Foot was a man of deep principle and passionate idealism and one of the most eloquent speakers Britain has ever heard," said Mr Brown, who succeeded Mr Blair as premier and Labour party leader in 2007.

"He was an indomitable figure who always stood up for his beliefs and whether people agreed with him or not, they admired his character and his steadfastness."

Despite the warm tributes, Mr Foot's leadership exacerbated deep divisions in the Labour party between his supporters on the hard left and those nearer the centre, who wanted a more moderate path.

His 1983 election manifesto, which backed policies like unilateral nuclear disarmament and withdrawal from the then European Economic Community, was dubbed "the longest suicide note in history" by a colleague.

And four leading Labour politicians - nicknamed the Gang of Four - quit Labour in 1981 to set up the Social Democratic Party (SDP), whose centre-left ideas were later taken up by Blair as he transformed Labour into New Labour.

Mr Blair led his party into government in 1997, and was re-elected twice before handing power three years ago to Mr Brown, who faces a battle to defeat the main opposition Conservatives at a general election expected on May 6.

Mr Blair's former chief spin doctor Alastair Campbell insisted Mr Foot did not condemn Mr Blair and Mr Brown for taking the party down a more centrist, voter-friendly path.

"He did not agree with everything the Labour government did. But he delighted in so much of the change made under first Tony and now Gordon, two men of whom I never heard him say a bad word," he wrote on his blog.

Mr Foot helped Tony Blair campaign for his first general election in 1983 and 12 years later was quoted as saying: "No rising hope on the political scene who offered his service to Labour when I happened to be leader can be dismissed as an opportunist."

As Labour leader, criticisms of Mr Foot also focused on his presentational skills.

He was mauled in the press for wearing what reporters called a donkey jacket - typically worn by a workman - to a service at the Cenotaph war memorial in London in 1981.