JEREMY CORBYN led tributes today to socialist comedian Jeremy Hardy, who has died at the age of 57.

The Labour leader spoke of his “dear, lifelong friend,” saying: “He always gave his all for everyone else and the campaigns for social justice.

“You made us all smile. You made us all think.”

Mr Hardy’s publicist Amanda Emery confirmed that he had died of cancer this morning and that his wife and daughter were with him when he died.

In a statement, she said: “He will be enormously missed by so many, who were inspired by him and who laughed with him.”

Mr Hardy worked as a scriptwriter before rising to prominence in London’s 1980s alternative comedy scene.

He won the prestigious Perrier award in 1988, and contributed legendary comedy shows such as Blackadder Goes Forth and Spitting Image.

He became best-known for his work on BBC Radio 4, particularly on I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue and Jeremy Hardy Speaks to the Nation.

A committed socialist, Mr Hardy was a prominent campaigner to free Danny McNamee, an Irish worker wrongly convicted of involvement in the IRA’s 1982 bombing of Hyde Park.

He supported many trade union and anti-racist campaigns and was a prominent pro-Palestinian rights activist, producing a documentary about his 2002 journey to Palestine, Jeremy Hardy vs the Israeli Army.

The Communication Workers Union also released a statement saying that “the trade union movement has lost a great friend.”

A memorial to Mr Hardy is set to be announced.