Dick Newby started the year as Charles Kennedy’s chief of staff. “What a month,” he reflects, “what a rollercoaster. Everything that could go wrong did, and then we had that tremendous by-election victory last Thursday. We Lib Dems are always talking about two-horse races but we started off with four horses, then three, then one hobbled himself and Ming, who has had a month as leader, hasn’t performed well at all. I have just decided to back Chris Huhne. He has real drive and the ability to galvanise the party.” Newby also chairs sport at the Prince’s Trust, working with unemployed young people and designing personal development courses which use sport to motivate them. “We had an event at Anfield recently to mark 10,000 young people who have been through one of the courses and 8,000 are now in jobs.” He is taking his wife, Ailsa, out to the cinema on his birthday, and earlier there will be a tea party for the disbanding Charles Kennedy team. “We always celebrate birthdays, but this will be a farewell too.” Lord Newby is 53 today. RGT
The Right Rev Peter Ball, Bishop of Gloucester, 1992-93, and his twin brother, the Right Rev Michael Ball, Bishop of Truro, 1990-97, 74; Professor Sir John Beringer, microbiologist, 62; Sir John Butterfill, Conservative MP for Bournemouth West, 65; Professor Evelyn Ebsworth, Vice-Chancellor of Durham University, 1990-98, 73; Sir Arnold Elton, consultant surgeon, 86; Sir Derrick Holden-Brown, chairman of Allied-Lyons, 1982-91, 83; Kevin Keegan, England football coach, 1999-2000, 55; Lord MacGregor of Pulham Market, Secretary of State for Transport, 1992-94, 69; Countess Mountbatten of Burma, 82; Sir Alan Parker, film director and writer, 62; Professor Peter H. Plesch, physical chemist, 88; Lord Rossmore, co-founder, Coolemine Therapeutic Community, Dublin, 75; Sir Albert Sloman, Vice-Chancellor of Essex University, 1962-87, 85; Sir Martin Sorrell, group chief executive of the WPP Group, 61; Sir Jocelyn Stevens, chairman of English Heritage, 1992-2000, 74; Professor John Subak-Sharpe, Professor of Virology at Glasgow University, 1968-94, 82; Lord Wilson of Tillyorn, Governor of Hong Kong, 1987-92, 71; Margaret Wright, former chief commissioner, the Guide Association, 64.