There was sad news the other day. An amusing rogue called Peter Snape has died aged 84. A West Bromwich Labour MP for 27 years, Peter was an increasingly old-fashioned figure. Solidly working-class and proud of it, he was never wholly at ease with the social-worker wing of the modern Labour party.

A stalwart of the Whips' office, he had hoped to become Labour's Chief Whip, but when the Party is in Opposition, that post is elected. He could never muster enough support. Earlier on, he enjoyed being a Whip under Michael Cocks during the Callaghan government. It started out with a tiny majority which disappeared after by-election losses. Getting the government's business through was a constant struggle, night after night. Peter was good at cajoling and coercing his troops, and if he was never quite convicted of committing any dirty tricks, he often came close.

He used to tell a story about dealing with a tricky backbencher. An elderly Labour MP called Maurice Edelman had been absenting himself from the Commons on health grounds. One Friday, when the House was rising early, Michael Cocks told Peter to break his journey home to pay a visit to Edelman in his smart Belgravia flat. He found the invalid in an equally smart smoking-jacket. 'Snape here from the Labour Whips. Next week, we'll need you to vote.' 'But my dear fellow, it's good of you to come to call, but I'm not allowed to leave the flat.' 'Rubbish. We'll send an ambulance and you can vote from New Palace Yard.' (That is an arrangement to enable seriously ill MPs to be near the premises without being required to walk through the division lobbies.) 'But I can't. My doctor has forbidden me to leave home.' 'I don't care what some poncy Harley Street quack is saying. We need you to be there to support the Labour government.' High words were exchanged and then Peter stalked off, slamming the door behind him.

Just before arriving back at West Bromwich, he switched on the six o'clock news. 'We regret to announce the death earlier today of Maurice Edelman, the veteran Labour MP. Mr Edelman, who had been in poor health for some time...' As Peter opened the door, the phone was ringing. 'Snape? Cocks here. Overkill.'

As befitted his old-school attitudes, Peter was a sound patriot. During the Falklands War, he had no doubt as to whose side he was on: Britain's. A journalist asked him whether this caused any problems with his constituency activists. Surely there were some disagreements? 'Oh yes, there's a deep division in the West Brom Labour party. There are those who'd give the Argies an ultimatum. "You have twenty-four hours to surrender or we bomb Buenos Aires." Then there are those who say: "Bugger ultimatums. Let's bomb 'em straight away."'

Peter obviously had a constituency party in his own image. As befits his pride in his working-class roots, he supported John Prescott in his efforts to become Labour's Deputy Leader. Prescott was also becoming an untypical Labour MP, and this was even more true in the Blair era. Earlier on, Prescott's rival for the Deputy Leadership was Roy Hattersley, also with working-class roots but who had moved a long way from them, especially at the dinner-table. He is credited with saying that he would do anything for the workers except eat like them. This inspired Peter to a piece of doggerel, drawing on that old Labour anthem, the Red Flag. Instead of 'The people's flag is deepest red', the Snape version ran: 'The people's Roy is deepest pink, replete with food, awash with drink...'

That was mildly hypocritical of Peter who himself was not averse to a good meal. After leaving the Commons, he was promoted to the House of Lords. If twitted about becoming Lord Snape, he would quickly fire back: 'Nothing's too good for the working class.' At one stage, there was a suggestion of financial impropriety; receiving cash for influence or some such. There was an investigation, but that was before the expenses furore, and the proceedings were not very thorough. Peter was a popular fellow.

He will be missed.