Tony Blair's father dies, aged 89
Leo Blair, the father of Tony Blair and a well-known figure in the Midlands, has died, it was announced today.
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The former prime minister, who was with his father when he passed away at the age of 89, today said he was "privileged to have him as a dad".
The former Labour leader, who pulled out of an engagement with former US president Bill Clinton on Thursday night after his father fell ill, said: "He was a remarkable man."
He added: "Raised in a poor part of Glasgow, he worked his way up from nothing."
Mr Blair Snr had a house in Shrewsbury and had links with the town's Labour Party.
Shrewsbury's Tory MP Daniel Kaczynski described him as a "charming, decent man".
