- He was awarded a Knight Bachelor of the Order of the British Empire in the 2004 Queen's Birthday Honours List for his services to Parliament.
- He was a keen film buff, often seen at the National Film Theatre, on the South Bank in London.
- He was a Member of Parliament for Manchester and Gorton.
- He was named Father of the House as the longest serving British MP of his time (18 June 1970 - 26 February 2017).
- His description of the 1983 general election manifesto of the Labour Party as "the longest suicide note in history" has passed into political legend.
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