Red in the rows at Michael Foot's funeral

Gordon and Sarah Brown were there; Glenys and Neil Kinnock; Alastair Campbell; Fiona Miller and 60 members of the Foot family.

The car park of the West Chapel at the good-old Golders Green Crematorium was heaving. Cherie Booth sat next to Dennis Skinner – if there were a left glitterati they were here.

Beyond a bit of Verdi at the beginning and Rossini at the end the only other music was the spirited rendition of The Red Flag. And whilst Michael’s Foot’s generation would have known all the words I noticed some of the most hardened reds peeping down at the words set out in the order of service.

There was no service – instead a completely uplifting account of Foot’s life: ups and downs and some of the funniest or the most memorable lines, delivered by Peter Jones of Plymouth Argyle. The team’s scarf was the only addition on the coffin beyond the inevitable red roses. 

It was undoubtedly a passing. And one in which speaker after speaker retrieved the words of Swift, Byron and more. Gordon Brown quoted Cicero as did Foot’s stepdaughter Julie, whom Foot called Judy all her adult life.

Foot’s grandnephew Tom described only a month ago Michael Foot making his courageous descent of the 50 staircases of his house and arriving at the breakfast table to exclaim about the boiled egg awaiting him: “It’s the best I have ever eaten – ever!”