THE former Scottish Labour MP Tam Dalyell, who has died aged 84, visited Worcestershire in 2001 to unveil a Civil War battle memorial.

Mr Dalyell was chosen to unveil the memorial, next to the Old Powick Bridge over the River Teme, because his ancestor fought in the Battle of Worcester in 1651

Sir Thomas Dalyell of The Binns led the Royalist Scottish troops in the battle, but they were defeated by Cromwell's forces, and he was captured and imprisoned in the Tower of London. In May he escaped abroad and, in 1654, took part in the Highland rebellion.

After unveiling the monument, Mr Dalyell was made a patron of the Battle of Worcester Society.

This week, Richard Shaw, the chairman of the society, said: "It's sad that he passed away, because he was a direct link to the battle, thanks to his ancestor who fought there."

Politically, Mr Dalyell was best known for his determined harrying of Margaret Thatcher over the sinking of the Argentine warship General Belgrano during the Falklands War.

An Old Etonian who inherited a baronetcy, although he never used the title, Mr Dalyell made an unlikely Labour left-winger.

First elected as MP for West Lothian in 1962, he made a name for himself for tenacious questioning of successive prime ministers, both Labour and Conservative.

A fervent opponent of Scottish devolution, his famous constitutional challenge - why should Scottish MPs at Westminster be able to vote on English matters when English MPs would be unable to vote on Scottish issues - became known as the "West Lothian question".

A supporter of the Troops Out campaign in Northern Ireland, he branded Tony Blair a war criminal over the invasion of Iraq.

A family statement said the parliamentary veteran, who spent 43 years as an MP, died after a short illness.