Derek Draper Cause of Death: Biography, Age, Wife, Children, Net Worth

Derek Draper was a political advisor and lobbyist from England. He faced involvement in two political scandals, namely “Lobbygate” in 1998 and another in 2009 during his tenure as editor of the LabourList website.

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Apart from his political career, Draper worked as a psychotherapist and authored two books, namely “Blair’s 100 Days” and “Life Support.”

Born on 15 August 1967, and hailing from Chorley, Lancashire, Draper attended Southlands High School until 1984 and later pursued education at Runshaw College in Leyland and the University of Manchester. During his university days, Draper provided hospitality to Ken Livingstone and developed connections, including a romantic involvement with Charlotte Raven.

Derek Draper Age

At the time of his death, he was 56 years old.

Derek Draper Cause of Death

In March 2020, Draper was hospitalized due to COVID-19 and was placed in an intensive care unit. Even after ten weeks, he remained in critical condition, kept in an induced coma. Although he opened his eyes the following month, Draper stayed in the hospital in a serious state through March 2021, marking a year since contracting the virus.

Attempting a trial return home in April 2021, Draper’s wife provided an update in May, revealing that he still grappled with the aftermath of COVID-19, experiencing devastation and immobility. By September 2021, Garraway reported that he continued to receive round-the-clock care, sleeping for 20 hours a day. During that month, she won a National Television Award for the ITV documentary “Finding Derek,” which chronicled his Long COVID experience and its impact on their family.

In February and March 2022, Draper sought treatment in Mexico. Garraway disclosed in April 2022 that he struggled to speak, understanding some words but unable to express himself fully, requiring constant care. The situation worsened in December 2023 when Draper suffered a cardiac arrest, leading to his admission to the hospital again in a very serious condition.

Tragically, Draper succumbed to COVID-19 complications on 5 January 2024.

Derek Draper Career

Draper commenced his political career in 1990 as the constituency secretary for Nick Brown. Over the years, he worked for various political figures, including Peter Mandelson, and later became a director at the lobbying firm GPC Market Access. During the late 1990s, Draper took on roles as the Political Editor of the Modern Review, a columnist for the Daily Express, and a presenter on Talk Radio UK.

In the “Lobbygate” scandal of 1998, Draper, while still a director at GPC Market Access, was recorded boasting about selling access to government ministers and creating tax breaks for clients. The fallout led to his dismissal from the Daily Express and distancing by Labour insiders. Subsequently, Draper shifted his career to psychotherapy, obtaining an MA in clinical psychology.

Despite facing controversies surrounding his psychotherapy qualifications, Draper maintained his membership in the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). He wrote columns on psychotherapy for various publications and authored a chapter in “The Future of the NHS.”

In 2008, Draper re-entered British politics as a Labour Campaign Advisor and founded the LabourList website in 2009. However, his involvement in a scandal involving plans to post false rumors about Conservative Party members led to his resignation as editor of LabourList in 2009.

Derek Draper Wife and Children

He was married to Kate Garraway, and they had two children with of his children one being Darcey Mary Draper.

Derek Draper Net Worth

He was estimated to have a net worth of around $15 million at the time of his death.