SIR Irvine Patnick, former MP for Sheffield Hallam, has died aged 83.
Lady Patnick said her husband had died in hospital where he had been for three months.
Sir Irvine was Conservative MP for Sheffield Hallam for 10 years from 1987 to 1997.
He left politics after losing his seat in the General Election to Liberal Democrat Richard Allan.
Sir Irvine was educated in Sheffield at the Central Technical College followed by Sheffield Polytechnic.
He entered politics as a member of Sheffield Council in 1967 and later served on South Yorkshire County Council before becoming an MP.
Sir Irvine served as a Government whip and was knighted in 1980.
He is widely credited as coining the phrase ‘People’s Republic of South Yorkshire’ when referring to the left-wing policies of Sheffield Council during the 1980s.
Sir Irvine was a leading member of the Jewish community in Sheffield.
He was vice-president of Sheffield’s Kingfield Synagogue, life president of Sheffield Jewish Representative Council and former national vice-chairman of the British Maccabi sports and youth organisation.
His family said he was due to be buried either today or tomorrow.
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