Pat O'Flynn
Born 1965 · Age 60
English journalist and politician; former political editor of the Daily Express and MEP for the East of England (2014–2019). Elected for UKIP, defected to the Social Democratic Party in 2018. Pro-Brexit commentator and columnist.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Cambridge, England
Patrick James O'Flynn was born in Cambridge, England.
Graduated King's College, Cambridge (Economics)
Read economics at King's College, Cambridge and graduated in 1987.
Diploma in Journalism, City, University of London (approx.)
Received a diploma in journalism from City, University of London (Wikipedia does not give a year; this event is placed shortly after his undergraduate graduation).
Early journalism roles (Birmingham Post)
Worked for the Birmingham Post early in his journalism career (Wikipedia and Express note he worked for Birmingham Post; no date given — approximate early-career placement).
Worked at the Sunday Express (early career)
Worked for the Sunday Express before rising to senior political roles at the Daily Express; exact years not specified in the sources.
Became chief political commentator and then political editor at the Daily Express (approx.)
Served as chief political commentator and later political editor at the Daily Express, becoming a leading Brexit voice for the paper. Exact promotion dates not given; served at the Express for over 20 years in Westminster lobbying role.
Appointed UKIP Director of Communications (reported)
PR Week reported UKIP appointed Express journalist Patrick O'Flynn as director of communications (report retrieved 3 April 2014).
Elected Member of the European Parliament (MEP)
Elected as an MEP for the East of England standing for the UK Independence Party in the 2014 European Parliament elections.
MEP term began
Took office as Member of the European Parliament for the East of England (term: 1 July 2014).
Appointed UKIP spokesperson on the economy (first term)
Took on an official UKIP spokesperson role related to the economy (infobox notes an in-office period beginning 24 July 2014).
UK general election: UKIP candidate for Cambridge
Stood as UKIP candidate in the Cambridge constituency at the 2015 general election; finished fifth with 5.2% of the vote.
Public criticism of Nigel Farage after Cambridge result
After the 2015 general election, O'Flynn described UKIP leader Nigel Farage as 'snarling, thin-skinned and aggressive' (quoted in The Guardian on 14 May 2015).
End of initial term as UKIP economy spokesperson (reported)
Sources note he was UKIP spokesperson on the economy until 19 May 2015 (end of that initial spokesperson period).
Running-mate in UKIP leadership election
Named as running-mate for Lisa Duffy in the September 2016 UKIP leadership election.
Appointed Special Political Advisor to the UKIP leader
Took the position of Special Political Advisor to the Leader of UKIP (in office 28 November 2016 – 27 July 2017).
Appointed UKIP Media and Sport Spokesperson
Served as UKIP Media and Sport Spokesperson (in office 1 December 2016 – 27 July 2017).
Reappointed UKIP Economics Spokesman (second term)
Appointed UKIP Economics Spokesman again on 7 April 2017 (in-office through 27 July 2017).
Left UKIP frontbench / stepped down from party roles
Left UKIP's frontbench on 27 July 2017, citing the party no longer supported his centrist economic policies.
Defected from UKIP to the Social Democratic Party (SDP)
Formally left UKIP and joined the Social Democratic Party in November 2018; cited appointment of Tommy Robinson as adviser to Gerard Batten as a key reason.
Became first sitting MEP for the resurgent SDP
By defecting from UKIP to the SDP in November 2018, he became the first MEP to sit in the European Parliament for the new SDP (while noting the original SDP had had MEPs in the 1980s).
Began contributing to The Spectator
From 2019 O'Flynn frequently wrote for The Spectator as a columnist and commentator.
Named as candidate in Peterborough by-election (final list published)
Final list of 15 candidates for the Peterborough by-election (including O'Flynn for the SDP) was revealed on 9 May 2019.
Stood in Peterborough by-election as SDP candidate
Contested the Peterborough by-election (6 June 2019); received 135 votes (0.4%) and finished ahead of the Monster Raving Loony Party candidate who had 112 votes.
MEP term ended
Term as Member of the European Parliament for the East of England formally ended on 1 July 2019; succeeded by Richard Tice.
Published column 'Looking on the bright side of life' (Express)
Wrote a featured Express column in May 2020 encouraging Britons during the COVID-19 lockdowns (Express lists this among notable contributions).
Launched 'The Snap' podcast with Michael Heaver
Started the Snap podcast in April 2021 with Michael Heaver, continuing his media and political commentary work.
Continued columnist work and public commentary
Published notable columns with the Daily Express and The Spectator (Express cites pieces in 2022 and beyond such as December 2022 commentary on Harry and Meghan).
Published political commentary (example: Sept 2024 column)
Wrote commentary pieces continuing to influence Brexit-era politics (Express lists a September 2024 column on Nigel Farage's prospects).
Legacy: remembered as a leading Brexit campaigner and commentator
Posthumous commentary and tributes hailed him as an influential pro-Brexit journalist and MEP who shaped public debate on sovereignty and immigration.
Family: survived by wife Carole Ann and two children
Survived by his wife, Carole Ann (life coach and former Daily Express writer), and a son and a daughter; family mentioned in multiple obituaries.
Estimated net worth (reported by some sources)
Mabumbe and other online sources estimated O'Flynn's net worth around £1 million (approx. USD 1.25M) by 2025. This is an estimate based on his journalism career, MEP salary/benefits and freelance income.
Published critique of Chagos deal (Express)
Wrote an Express column in February 2025 criticizing the Chagos deal — cited by Express as one of his recent notable columns.
Published column on UK masculinity (Express)
Authored a March 2025 piece on masculinity and youth in the UK, demonstrating continued public influence shortly before his illness.
Diagnosed with liver cancer (shortly before death)
Shortly after being diagnosed with liver cancer, O'Flynn's health deteriorated leading to his death on 20 May 2025 (sources say diagnosis occurred shortly before death).
Died in London from liver cancer
Patrick O'Flynn died in London on 20 May 2025 at age 59 after a short battle with liver cancer.
Obituaries and tributes published
Major outlets (The Telegraph, Daily Express, The Times, Sky News and others) published obituaries and tributes following his death (Telegraph piece dated 21 May 2025; Express tribute 21 May 2025; The Times obituary 24 May 2025).
Key Achievement Ages
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