A regional political reporter who helped organise the Parliamentary Press Gallery’s 200th anniversary celebrations in 2003 has died aged 71.

Brian Shallcross, left, started his career with Thomson Regional Newspapers but spent most of his working life in regional television.

He covered politics for Tyne Tees Television, Southern Television and TVS and interviewed most of the leading politicians of the day including Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair and Harold Wilson.

On one occasion, he was asked by a senior minister who had just finished a rambling monologue if the piece could be edited out. Brian courteously explained that it had just been transmitted live to millions of homes.

Always keen to take advantage of new technology, he had more recently started a regular politics podcast for Classic FM and his own blog, Brian in the House, and also set up the Parliamentary Press Gallery’s website.

He served for many years on the gallery committee and was chairman on two occasions, an honour he shared with gallery legends Chris Moncrieff and George Jones.

In 2003, as vice-chair to Moncrieff, he organised the bicentenary dinner held to mark the 200th anniversary of the foundation of the gallery by Speaker Abbott in 1803.

Brian, who died last month, is survived by his wife, Maureen, and their three children.

A further tribute to Brian can be found his Lasting Tribute page