Former Labour MP Lord Taverne, Lib Dem Founder, Dies Aged 97

Lord Dick Taverne, a Liberal Democrat peer and former Labour MP for Lincoln, has died at age 97. He served as chief secretary to the Treasury during the UK's transition to decimal currency and championed the introduction of the 50p coin. Taverne famously resigned from Labour over his pro-European stance, winning the 1973 Lincoln by-election as a Democratic Labour candidate before eventually losing his seat in 1974. He later joined the Social Democratic Party and became a founding member of the Liberal Democrats when the SDP merged with the Liberals in 1988. He was the first director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, shaping economic policy debate, and was appointed to the House of Lords in 1996. His family and Liberal Democrat leaders, including Sir Ed Davey, paid tribute to his principled dedication to European integration, rational political debate, and public service, praising his intelligence and lasting influence.