The Spectator’s columnist and associate editor Rod Liddle has died aged 66. Tributes have poured in as his many dedicated readers have expressed their condolences. Here are the reactions so far.

Editor of The Spectator, Michael Gove:

Rod Liddle was a journalist of genius. In the tradition of Swift, Cobbett and Orwell, he was a satirist who found society’s most sensitive spots and made merciless fun of our follies. He was always fearless, could be achingly funny and while he had an adamantine core of principle he could also surprise. Because he was original – he thought for himself and never wanted anyone’s approval – he was special and brave. In person, Rod was kind and gentle. He was an indulgent boss and brilliantly creative editor at the BBC and an always steadfast and generous colleague. He had a deep love of England, of its culture and in particular the common sense of its working class. He was also a master of the written word. He was very much loved by those who knew him. And no words we can summon can capture our loss.

Rod Liddle was a journalist of genius. In the tradition of Swift, Cobbett and Orwell, he was a satirist who found society’s most sensitive spots and made merciless fun of our follies. He was always fearless, could be achingly funny and while he had an adamantine core of principle he could also surprise. Because he was original – he thought for himself and never wanted anyone’s approval – he was special and brave.

In person, Rod was kind and gentle. He was an indulgent boss and brilliantly creative editor at the BBC and an always steadfast and generous colleague. He had a deep love of England, of its culture and in particular the common sense of its working class. He was also a master of the written word. He was very much loved by those who knew him. And no words we can summon can capture our loss.

The Spectator’s publisher, Freddie Sayers:

Everyone at the Spectator is devastated by the news that our beloved columnist and friend Rod has died. We knew that he had been unwell for some time but had been hoping for a recovery and return to the writing which Spectator readers loved and looked forward to every week. His voice, of course, is irreplaceable: a combination of bravery, originality, fearlessness and laugh-out-loud wit that we will miss deeply in the weeks and years to come.

Everyone at the Spectator is devastated by the news that our beloved columnist and friend Rod has died. We knew that he had been unwell for some time but had been hoping for a recovery and return to the writing which Spectator readers loved and looked forward to every week. His voice, of course, is irreplaceable: a combination of bravery, originality, fearlessness and laugh-out-loud wit that we will miss deeply in the weeks and years to come.

Former editor of The Spectator, Fraser........

© The Spectator