Elton John and Tony Blair Pay Respects at Derek Draper's Funeral

The funeral of Derek Draper, an author and former political adviser who passed away last month, was attended by notable figures such as Sir Elton John and Sir Tony Blair. Draper's wife, TV presenter Kate Garraway, and their children were also present at the private service. Draper had been battling severe complications from Covid-19 since contracting the disease in March 2020, and he suffered a cardiac arrest in December, ultimately leading to his passing in January. Garraway expressed her grief for her "darling husband Derek" in a heartfelt statement posted on Instagram following his death. In April of last year, Sir Elton dedicated his song "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" to Garraway and Draper during one of his concerts, which they were able to attend. Garraway, who hosts Good Morning Britain (GMB), welcomed guests before the funeral. Among the attendees were her GMB co-hosts Ben Shephard, Richard Madeley, and Susanna Reid, as well as former GMB presenter Piers Morgan. Broadcaster Richard Madeley and musician/broadcaster Myleene Klass also paid their respects. Klass had previously filled in as host for Garraway's radio show on Smooth Radio. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and former Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell were seen arriving at the North London church, accompanied by former Labour MPs Lord Peter Mandelson and Tristram Hunt, who is now the director of the Victoria and Albert Museum. Other political figures, including former shadow chancellor Ed Balls and shadow climate secretary Ed Miliband, were also present at the ceremony. Draper, originally from Chorley in Lancashire, worked as a Labour Party lobbyist for nearly a decade before leaving politics in 1998. His departure followed the "Lobbygate" scandal, in which Draper was caught on record boasting about his ability to sell access to government ministers. He later trained as a psychotherapist and regularly contributed to magazines and newspapers on psychotherapy topics. He authored two books, "Blair's 100 Days" and "Life Support". In 2009, he founded the LabourList website, a news platform that supports the Labour Party while remaining independent. Following Draper's death, Sir Tony Blair paid tribute to him, describing him as a "good colleague and great friend".