"Fearsome and fun": Tribute to Lord Snape
Lord Snape of Wednesbury: 12 February 1942 – 13 August 2026 | Image courtesy of UK Parliament
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Trade unionist, government whip and later a peer, Peter Snape was a passionate transport campaigner. Known for his work ethic and his combative style, he was an excellent parliamentarian. Words by Sarah Coombes
Lord Snape has always loomed large in the mythology of West Bromwich, so much so that when some social researchers recently interviewed residents on the high street, many people thought that he was still the MP! I take that as testament to Peter’s memorable personality, and work ethic over his near three decades in office, rather than a reflection on my own first couple of years as our representative...
For those who aren’t so familiar with Peter and his story, he was born in Stockport in 1942, earning a scholarship to an independent Roman Catholic School in Manchester. Hating it, he ended up switching to Dialstone secondary modern in Stockport but left school at 15 to follow his father into a life on the railways. He became a trainee signalman and lived beside his signal box, in lodgings just south of Stockport.
He subsequently joined the army in 1961, serving in both the Royal Engineers and Royal Corps of Transport. It was when he rejoined British Rail that he embarked on his political career, becoming a member of the Labour Party in 1971 and an active member of the National Union of Railwaymen. He was elected to Bredbury and Romiley urban district council (then a part of Stockport) where he served until he was elected as the Member of Parliament for West Bromwich East just three years later.
Lord Snape spent much of his parliamentary career in the whips’ office, and I am glad to be carrying on the tradition of West Bromwich whips, having been appointed as an assistant government whip earlier this summer. I’m sorry not to be able to ask Peter his advice for the role, because he gave such good tips about all other aspects of being an MP.
Peter and Betty Boothroyd, his constituency neighbour, certainly cut a fearsome and fun pair locally
He was particularly helpful on any campaign to do with transport, a life-long passion of his. We spent a memorable morning together soon after I was elected championing ‘better buses’ next to a double decker he and his wife Lynda Waltho (the former MP for Stourbridge) had arranged to be parked outside Parliament. He also gave me excellent advice on my campaign against ‘ghost number plates’ – and indeed raised it himself in the Lords.
Peter was rightly appointed as a transport spokesman by Neil Kinnock and those who knew him back then say he was always known as a combative member of the front bench. Peter and Betty Boothroyd, his constituency neighbour, certainly cut a fearsome and fun pair locally.
Peter was made Lord Snape of Wednesbury in 2004 after he stepped down from the Commons at the 2001 election. He and his wife Lynda continued to be a real campaign force and very influential figures in the West Midlands and beyond.
For many people, Peter’s most famous moment as a politician was a classic example of how his great sense of humour could also rile people up. After telling Edwina Currie “all your colleagues hate you” while taking part in a 1992 general election campaign TV debate, she emptied a glass of orange juice over his head in the green room. He responded by sending her his dry-cleaning bill. While I hope to emulate Peter in many ways, provoking such a hostile reaction from a member of the opposition is not one of them!
Although lots of West Bromwich residents recall this incident with a smile, the main memories people have shared of Peter since news of his passing are ones of hearing him speak passionately and with humour at CLP meetings, business openings, community events and more. One person commented, “Peter Snape is synonymous with my childhood,” as he was such a feature at school fairs and assemblies. Peter was an excellent parliamentarian, and he will be very sadly missed.
Sarah Coombes is Labour MP for West Bromwich
