SIR Clement Freud, the writer, broadcaster and former Liberal MP for NE Cambridgeshire, has died, his family announced today. The prominent racehorse owner died at his desk on Wednesday at his home in London, nine days short of his 85th birthday. A freque

SIR Clement Freud, the writer, broadcaster and former Liberal MP for NE Cambridgeshire, has died, his family announced today.

The prominent racehorse owner died at his desk on Wednesday at his home in London, nine days short of his 85th birthday.

A frequent contributor to the Racing Post and Radio 4's Just a Minute show, Sir Clement was a grandson of the famous psychologist Sigmund Freud.

Sir Clement will be remembered in Fenland for having polled 38.3 per cent of the vote to win the former Isle of Ely seat for the Liberals in 1973, even though the party had not fought the constituency in the 1907 General Election.

The constituency later became NE Cambridgeshire and Sir Clement held it until June 1987 when he lost to Malcolm Moss.

Among the first to pay tribute to Sir Clement was the North East Cambridgeshire Labour Party.

Ron Harris, who fought as a Labour candidate against him twice, said: "Despite our political differences, I will always remember Clement as a charismatic man who tried to do what he thought right for the people of North East Cambridgeshire.

"I would like to pass my condolences to both his friends and family and will remember the many funny anecdotes from the election campaigns we shared, even though we were at the time rivals".

Peter Roberts, NE Cambs Labour Party Parliamentary spokesman, said: "Sir Clement Freud was a heavyweight of local politics. I was lucky to have met Clement twice, finding him to be a lucid man with a tremendous knowledge.

"I don't think a week has gone by without someone reminding me of an occasion when he was the local MP, which is in itself a remarkable tribute to the indelible mark he left on North East Cambridgeshire".

(Email your recollections of Sir Clement and tributes to: john.elworthy@archant.co.uk).