Tributes from across the political spectrum have been paid to veteran Labour MP Sir Gerald Kaufman following his death at the age of 86.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn joined Prime Minister Theresa May in praising the record of Sir Gerald, who had been the "father of the House of Commons" after serving as an MP since 1970.

The death also means Labour faces another by-election in a heartland seat after losing Copeland in Cumbria to the Tories, and holding onto Stoke-on-Trent Central after a bitter political dog-fight with Ukip.

Sir Gerald had a commanding lead in Manchester Gorton, which he held at the last general election with a majority of 24,079 over the Greens who took second place.

In a warm tribute, Mr Corbyn described Sir Gerald as an "iconic and irascible" figure with "dandy clothes" who "loved life and politics".

Sir Gerald, who died Sunday after battling a long-term illness, was first elected as Manchester Ardwick MP in 1970 before becoming Manchester Gorton MP after constituency boundary changes in 1983 until his death.

He famously described Labour's 1983 manifesto, which had a heavy emphasis on ambitious hard-left policies, as "the longest suicide note in history".

Mr Corbyn said Sir Gerald had been his "constant" friend, adding: "An iconic and irascible figure in the Labour Party, Gerald worked with Harold Wilson when he was Prime Minister in the 1960s and became a Labour MP in 1970.

"Gerald was always a prominent figure in the party and in Parliament, with his dandy clothes and wonderful demeanour in speaking.

"Gerald came from a proud Jewish background.

"He always wanted to bring peace to the Middle East and it was my pleasure to travel with him to many countries."

Mrs May said she had been "very sad" to learn of Sir Gerald's death.

"His was a life of remarkable commitment to his constituents in Manchester and to the political life of the nation.

"He spent more than half his life as a parliamentarian having been first elected in 1970."

Former prime minister Tony Blair said: "Gerald was an extraordinary man, passionate, principled, acerbic and absolutely dedicated to the cause of social justice and the Labour Party."

Mr Blair said he saw Sir Gerald "a few weeks back" and "though very ill, he was the same old Gerald, kind, supportive and full of the best reminiscences of our time together".

Ex-Labour leader Ed Miliband said Sir Gerald was an "outstanding servant of the Labour movement" who will be "sorely missed".

Commons Speaker John Bercow said: "Gerald was a passionate campaigner for social justice, here in Britain and around the world.

"His passing will be mourned by his relatives, friends, constituents and colleagues."

Former prime minister Gordon Brown said: "There was no one quite like Gerald Kaufman: a brilliant speaker, a compelling writer, an acerbic wit and a conscientious constituency MP who was at home in every one of the Manchester communities he represented in the House of Commons."

SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson said he was "very sorry" to hear of the death.

Manchester Gorton is seen as one of Labour's safest seats and so the by-election resulting from Sir Gerald's death is unlikely to cause any headaches for Mr Corbyn.

Conservative grandee and former chancellor Ken Clarke is now the new Father of the House, the title given to the MP with the longest continuous service who is not a minister.

Mr Clarke was also elected in June 1970 but Sir Gerald held the title as he was sworn in first.