'Til Death Do Us Part' star Tony Booth passes away at 85

Lauren Booth has paid a heartbreaking tribute to her actor father Tony after he died aged 85.

Mr Booth, also father to Cherie Blair, died last night following a long battle with Alzheimer's and heart problems.

The actor and political activist achieved fame in the 1960s sitcom Till Death Us Do Part, often called a 'Scouse git' by the show's lead Alf Garnett, but later became known for being father-in-law to former Prime Minister Tony Blair. 

Ms Booth, 50, had suffered a bitter feud with her father, prior to his death, with the pair refusing to talk to each other for years.  

But despite their long-term dispute, during which Mr Booth claimed he did not love his daughter, Ms Booth celebrated her father's life with a touching post on Twitter.

Sharing a family photo of her, sister Cherie and their father, she wrote: 'The man who taught me to read and above all: to fight for what I believe in. God give you peace, Dad. ' 

Ms Booth also spoke of her father love of Shakespeare and performance on the stage.

She wrote: 'My Dad passed last night. His love for Shakespeare and equal rights his inspiration to us all.

In another tweet, she said: 'I remember seeing Dad play the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland. He spoke the songs really well!'

It is not clear whether the pair had patched up their differences prior to his death.

But during an interview with the Daily Mail in 2010, the actor said: 'I don't know if we'll ever speak again. I suspect not.'

Lauren converted to Islam in 2011, after a visit to the Iranian holy city of Qom, a decision that was met with disapproval and mockery by her father.

He said: 'Whatever next?' I mean, come on, the girl doesn't have a spiritual bone in her body.' 

Tony Booth was was best known for his role as 'randy Scouse git' Mike Rawlins in the BBC series Till Death Us Do Part, during the 1960s.

But later achieved fame starring in the raunchy comedy film series, Confessions Of... in the 1970s.

While he had a number of roles on the small screen, Booth was catapulted back into the public eye as the father-in-law of Prime Minister Tony Blair.

However, the actor and life-long Labour party member often lambasted his son-in-law's administration - even swearing at him in public.

Mr Booth was a father-of-nine and was married four times. 

In the years prior to his death, the TV star had suffered heart problems as well as enduring a battle with dementia that lasted more than a decade.

He was diagnosed with the degenerative illness in 2004 and it forced him to retire as memory loss made it hard to learn scripts.  

The actor often campaigned for the rights of people effected by dementia and the Alzheimer's Society said the charity was 'deeply saddened' by news of his death.

Jeremy Hughes, chief executive of the society, said: 'Our thoughts are with Tony's wife, Steph, all his children and family during this sad time.   

'Tony, always staunchly supported by Steph, was a charming and charismatic man, who since his diagnosis was determined to continue to live life to the full.'  

During his career, Booth was also known for featuring in the L-Shaped Room in 1962 and more recently for his role in The Contender in 2000.

He played Malcolm Wilkinson in Coronation Street from 1960-1961 and had a host of other film and TV roles during the decade.

In the 1990s he enjoyed a revival in his television career, with roles in the likes of Holby City, The Bill and Mersey Beat. 

After his first two marriages ending in divorce, his third was to actress Pat Phoenix, who played Elsie Tanner in Coronation Street.

She sadly died from cancer a week after their wedding in 1986.

Ms Phoenix was said to have become the love of his life after he met her as a young man.

He married third wife Nancy Jaeger in 1988, before settling down with his final his wife Stephanie Buckley in 1998.

Cherie Booth was born in Bury, Lancashire, in 1954, during his marriage to first wife Gale Smith. But by the time she was five he had left his young family.

She went on to become a highly successful lawyer, taking silk and later becoming a judge.

But it was her marriage to fellow lawyer Tony Blair - and his rise up the political ladder - which brought her father back into the spotlight.

Mr Booth, who joined the Labour party at the age of 15, did not hold back from criticising the Government after Mr Blair entered Downing Street in 1997.

In 1999 he railed against 'androids' at Labour's Millbank HQ and a year later said his daughter's husband had stuffed the House of Lords with 'Tony's Cronies'.

He also risked the wrath of the Blairs in 2002 when he lifted the lid on life in Downing Street in his autobiography, What's Left?

At the same time he criticised them for choosing to send their eldest son to the selective and grant-maintained London Oratory School.

The gripes did not stop there, with Mr Booth accusing the Government of 'ruthlessly' squashing the pay demands of striking firefighters and being 'prepared to throw away billions' on the Iraq war rather than spending the money on pensioners.

Chancellor Gordon Brown, meanwhile, was 'the scrooge of Downing Street'.

If the Prime Minister bristled at the outbursts, he tried not to show it.

On one occasion, when facing calls by Mr Booth to raise the state pension, his son-in-law said: 'I don't think it would be the very first time I had a little bit of grief from Tony along the way.'

He gave a glimpse into their relationship at the Labour Party conference in 2002, when he told how he was once given a V-sign by an elderly man with grey hair who was 'respectable enough' to have been his father-in-law.

Turning to his wife Cherie, the PM added: 'I should have given him one in return shouldn't I?'

His deputy, John Prescott, said he would like to flick a V-sign at Booth too, adding: 'Tony Booth gives two fingers to everybody, doesn't he? As long as he gets the publicity for it.'

Despite the political differences, Mr Booth remained close to his daughter, and was with her and her husband at his constituency election count in the 2005 General Election.

Anthony Booth was born in Liverpool on October 9 1931.

During his National Service he discovered a talent for acting, entertaining his fellow conscripts in amateur productions.

He married Royal Academy of Dramatic Art graduate Gale Smith in 1952 and had daughters Lynsey and Cherie with her, before leaving her to move in with producer Julie Allen, who bore him two more girls.

He had two more daughters during his second marriage to model Pamela Smith.

In 1979, Mr Booth almost burned himself to death in a fire at his flat, remaining hospitalised for months.  

This article was first published on dailymail.co.uk and is reproduced here with permission.