Kate Jones

The Times carries an obituary today for the literary agent Kate Jones, who has died of liver cancer at the age of 46. Kate showed loyalty beyond the call of professional obligation to her authors, as the obituary makes clear in just a sentence: "During her post-cancer sabbatical, Jones took on the unrestful task of being Martin Bell’s agent for his campaign in the 1997 general election, when he stood as an Independent against Neil Hamilton in the 'safe' Conservative seat of Tatton, and won."

Those who watched the 1997 election results on television (I attended the Tatton count, but later saw the BBC election video) may just recall an image of Martin standing in front of a seven-foot transvestite, while flanked by my cousin Melissa and also by Kate, her arms aloft in triumph. It's easy to be wise after the event, when we know the damage that Mr Hamilton had inflicted not only on his reputation but also on the fortunes of the Conservative Party nationally. But it was quite an undertaking to be election agent in a quixotic campaign for what was nominally one of the Tories' safest seats (and is now again, with George Osborne as the sitting MP). Kate did it with style and congeniality, and complete success. I last saw her in May, when old friends from that venture held a dinner to mark the tenth anniversary of the Tatton campaign. I shall remember her with great respect and affection. And while I'm saddened by Kate's passing, I relished the penultimate sentence of her obituary: "When liver cancer was diagnosed and found to be incurable, only five days before she died, she and her husband drew up a short but pleasing list of people she would thankfully never have to deal with again."