The body of Labour peer Lord David Lipsey has been recovered from the River Wye in Wales after he was last seen swimming in the waterway he had passionately campaigned to protect from pollution.
Dyfed Powys Police confirmed Thursday that the 77-year-old peer’s body was found on July 1 following a multi-agency search. Lord Lipsey had been reported missing after being last seen swimming near Glasbury, Powys, approximately 370 miles from London.
The House of Lords announced his death Wednesday afternoon, with Speaker Lord McFall extending condolences to the peer’s family and friends. Lord Lipsey’s final parliamentary contribution came on October 9 last year, when he spoke movingly about his love for swimming in the very river where he died.
Final Parliamentary Warning
During debate on the Water (Special Measures) Bill, Lord Lipsey had warned colleagues about the deteriorating state of the River Wye. His prophetic final words in the chamber were stark.
We go swimming at Glasbury most mornings in summer, some mornings in winter, and my wife even took the plunge once on Boxing Day, for which she should certainly have a medal,” he told peers. “We still do this, but it is a deteriorating experience.”
The Labour peer revealed that sections of the river had been closed to wild swimmers “on the grounds of pollution.” His last recorded parliamentary words were: “The Bill and the debates on it present a matchless opportunity to promote the cause of this iconic river and stop it dying before our eyes.
Police spokesman Sabata Mokgwabone confirmed that officers received reports concerning “the safety of a man who was last seen swimming in the River Wye, Glasbury” on July 1. Following the recovery of Lord Lipsey’s body, his family requested privacy during their time of grief.
Political Pioneer
Lord Lipsey leaves behind a remarkable political legacy spanning journalism and government service. The Oxford-educated peer coined two of British politics‘ most enduring phrases: “Winter of Discontent” and “New Labour.
Born David Lawrence Lipsey on April 21, 1948, he attended Bryanston School in Dorset before winning an Exhibition to study Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Magdalen College, Oxford. He graduated with first-class honors and won the prestigious Gibbs Prize in Politics.
His career trajectory took him from journalism at The Times, The Guardian and The Economist to the heart of government as speechwriter and adviser to Prime Minister James Callaghan. He served as political adviser to Foreign Secretary Anthony Crosland before his appointment to 10 Downing Street.
“David was a great advocate for Talgarth and the Black Mountains, for Gwernyfed High School, Black Mountains College and Glasbury Arts, alongside many other good causes,” said Councillor William Powell, Chair of Powys County Council.
River Pollution Crisis
Lord Lipsey’s death comes amid mounting concerns about water quality in the River Wye, which Natural England downgraded from “unfavourable-recovering” to “unfavourable-declining” status in May 2023.
Environmental assessments indicate that over 60 percent of phosphate pollution in the catchment comes from agricultural runoff, particularly from intensive poultry farming. The region hosts an estimated 20 million chickens at any given time, with 4 million in Powys and 16 million in Herefordshire.
“The salmon population of the River Wye is at a critical state with angling catches down 94% from their peak in 1967,” according to the Wye Salmon Association. Water-crowfoot, essential for river nurseries, has declined by more than 90 percent.
The Environment Agency has acknowledged significant challenges in enforcement. Agency chair Sir James Bevan admitted that pollution rules were “deliberately not enforced for the first couple of years because the government asked us not to.
Distinguished Career
Created Baron Lipsey of Tooting Bec in 1999, the peer maintained diverse interests throughout his career. He chaired the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Classical Music from 2011 and served as patron of the Glasbury Arts Festival.
Former health minister Stephen Dorrell expressed sadness at the news, describing Lord Lipsey as “always very good company” and praising his work on social care reform during the Cameron years.
Ironically, I worked most closely with David when I chaired the House of Commons health committee in the Cameron years, because he was strongly of the view that if you don’t sort out social care, you’ll never sort out either the health service or the wider health and care system,” Dorrell told Sky News.
Beyond politics, Lord Lipsey championed greyhound racing, serving as chairman of the British Greyhound Racing Board from 2004 to 2009 and president of the British Harness Racing Club from 2008 to 2016. The Racing Post honored him as “one of the power-brokers of the sport.
Community Impact
Lord Lipsey had made his home in the Wye Valley for nearly 30 years with his second wife, Margaret Robson. The couple became integral members of the Glasbury community, with the peer’s daily river swims becoming a cherished local sight.
He is survived by his wife Margaret, a daughter, and two stepsons. He was previously married to Elizabeth.
The tragic irony of Lord Lipsey’s death in the waters he fought to protect has not been lost on environmental campaigners. His decades-long advocacy for water quality improvements included serving on various regulatory bodies, including the Advertising Standards Authority from 1999 to 2005.
Local authorities continue to coordinate with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to support the family during this difficult time.
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Image credit:
Official portrait of Lord Lipsey, 2023. Photo by UK Parliament, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 3.0.
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