Sir Ludovic Kennedy dies

Sir Ludovic Kennedy - 1919-2009

Ludovic Kennedy, the man who stood for the Liberals in Rochdale in the 1958 by-election, the first British by-election to be televised, has died aged 89.

Sir Ludovic was more famous for his work as a journalist investigating miscarriages of justice, including the case of the Birmingham Six.

He contributed to the abolition of the death penalty and was also president of the Voluntary Euthanasia Society.

He is understood to have died on Sunday (18 October) at a nursing home in Salisbury, Wiltshire, after contracting pneumonia. He leaves four children.

Rochdale MP Paul Rowen paid tribute to Sir Ludovic, saying: "The by-election in 1958 is still part of Rochdale folk-law and tales have been passed through generations of Liberals in Rochdale. Although not successful in the election, Sir Ludovic achieved a massive surge in the Liberal vote in the town and laid the foundations that made it possible for Sir Cyril Smith to get elected 15 years later.

"Many Rochdale people speak fondly of the ‘stardust’ that his late wife Moira Shearer brought to the town. Moira was a famous ballet dancer and actress at the time.

"He was probably the best investigative journalist in the country and helped get rid of the death penalty.

"We are sad that another great icon of Rochdale Liberal history has now gone and my thoughts are with his son and three daughters.”