The actor John Sessions was indeed a loner, latterly playing the role of “an ageing buffer”. But the friend I had known since we were 11 was rather different. He was surrounded by a close network of nephews, nieces, godchildren and long-standing friends from outside the world of showbiz, to whom he was supportive and generous. His public persona as smart aleck stood in marked contrast with that private reality of warmth and loyalty.
When I stood as a Labour parliamentary candidate in 1992, John unhesitatingly joined me for a photoshoot. We later disagreed over Brexit, but during last year’s rancorous parliamentary debates he told me that he had come to see leaving the EU as a mistake because of the division it was causing.