Nigel Nelson has paid tribute to his "old friend" Patrick O'Flynn, who passed away yesterday at the age of 59 following a short battle with cancer.
The news of O'Flynn's death has shocked many in political and media circles, with tributes pouring in from across the spectrum for the journalist who spent more than 20 years as a parliamentary lobby correspondent.
News broke yesterday that Patrick O'Flynn had died at the age of 59.
O'Flynn, political editor of the Express from the 1990s to 2005, was elected as Ukip MEP for the East of England in 2014.
O'Flynn appeared on GB News several times as a commentator on current affairsGB NewsSpeaking about his friend, Nigel Nelson said: "Paddy was an old friend of mine, and we've known each other for 20 years, and the last time I saw saw him was at GB news, and that was only a few months ago and he looked really, really fit and healthy."
Martin Daubney responded: "In fact, he sat where you sat and I said to him, Pat, you look really, really well. How are you doing? Oh thank you. He said he was just he was on his toes."
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Reform UK leader Nigel Farage led the tributes yesterday, saying: "So sad to hear of the passing of Patrick O'Flynn.
"Paddy was a great journalist, a great thinker, a great patriot and a titan of our joint cause. Thank you Paddy."
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson described O'Flynn as "a hugely original journalist across the causes of the current discontent campaign."
The Social Democratic Party, which O'Flynn joined in 2018 after leaving UKIP, said it was "devastated" by the news, calling him a "great journalist, fantastic MEP, true patriot, & most of all a wonderful man, he will be sorely missed."
In the House of Commons, Reform UK MP Richard Tice formally acknowledged O'Flynn's passing, telling fellow MPs: "I put on record of the House, with your permission, the sad passing yesterday of Patrick O'Flynn.
"A political journalist well known to many honourable members of this House. He died after a short battle with cancer."
Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle responded with his own tribute: "Patrick was a long serving and well respected member of the lobby.
"I am sure the whole House will wish to join me in sending our condolences to his family. For somebody who was taken so young."
Christopher Hope added: "A great man taking so young. We miss Patrick and we send our best wishes to his family."
Nigel Nelson paid tribute to his old friends
GB NEWS
O'Flynn was instrumental in spearheading the Daily Express's campaign for Britain to leave the European Union, a cause he championed throughout his career.
He left the Ukip frontbench in 2017, citing disagreements over the party's direction and its lack of support for his centrist economic values. He subsequently joined the Social Democratic Party in 2018.
In December 2019, just before Britain's departure from the EU, O'Flynn reflected on how his decade began by launching the Express campaign to get Britain out of the EU, "much to the bemusement of Lobby colleagues and the vast majority of MPs."
He is survived by his wife, Carole Ann, who also wrote for the Daily Express, as well as his son and daughter.
