Parliament share touching tributes to Chesham and Amersham MP
Dame Cheryl Gillan died last week aged 68 after a long illness
Last updated 13th Apr 2021
Parliament are paying their respects to Cheryl Gillam MP among others today.
Members of Parliament have paid tribute to Dame Cheryl Gillan MP for Chesham and Amersham who, after a long illness died at the end of March.
Tributes have been shared by several colleagues since her death was announced, but today members of parliament have spoken in the House of Commons about her passing.
Sit Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons began the tributes:
"I know honourable members in all parts of the house, including the deputies like myself are in shock and were great friends with the said member.
"I know that the house will join me in mourning the loss of a colleague and extending our sympathies to the RHM family and friends.
"Cheryl was a member of the house for nearly 30 years and in that time she made an outstanding contribution from both back and front benches.
"She was a doughty defender for her constituents interests. Most notedly in her long campaign against HS2 rail line and was the champion of the private members bill that lead to the Autism Act of 2009.
"Above all she will be remembered as a friend and mentor to many member across the house, especially new members on both sides of this house."
Many tributes commented on Dame Cheryl's warmth and support regardless of party affiliation.
Among those showcasing this mutual respect was Harriet Harmon, who is known as "Mother of the House" as the longest serving female MP:
"I think sometimes politics can feel like a hostile environment and that is why Cheryl was so important as somebody who was just completely warm, non judgemental, vivacious and outgoing.
"When she came into the house of 1992 as one of 376 Conservative MP's she was one of only 20 women. So, she was very much a pioneer of women presence on Tory benches.
"In the near 3 decades she served in the house she very proudly and protectively she watched over the growing flock of Tory women MP's."
Rob Butler, MP for Aylesbury spoke of her warmth and support during the 2019 General Election and beyond:
"I first met her when she came to Aylesbury to help me campaign, as her neighbouring constituency we had HS2 in common.
"With her much loved dog Jimmy who had brought her so much joy after the death of her husband, Cheryl walked the street with me, and shared a choice word or two with a heckler in the post office.
"Then she sat down in a pub to tell me what was what and despite having known me barely an hour she immediately offered me space in her office were I to be elected
"She was good to her word and in my first month here I camped out alongside her, benefiting not just from a desk and some space but also from her wisdom.
"I vividly remember when she heard me discussing a proposed email of response to a particularly vitriolic correspondent she came and stood quietly behind me and said 'I think you can just say I remember meeting you very well he will get the message'. She was, of course, right.
"Dame Cheryl cared. She cared profoundly for her constituents, she cared for fellow members of this house and she cared greatly for her staff and they cared greatly for her."