Lord Michael Spicer, founder of the European Research Group, has died in hospital following a long illness. Prominent Tories have led tributes to the former minister and longtime MP for Worcestershire.

His widow, Patricia Ann Hunter, paid tribute to an “amazing husband and wonderful father”, saying he had remained involved in politics until his death. A family spokesman said Spicer, 76, had Parkinson’s and leukaemia.

Spicer served as chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee from 2001 until 2010, when he stepped down as an MP after 34 years and was made a life peer before serving on the political honours committee.

Former prime minister David Cameron said he had a great sense of fun and humour as well as being devoted to his family, constituency and parliament. “I will miss him,” he tweeted.

Tory MEP Daniel Hannan said Spicer had led the Eurosceptic movement in parliament during the 1990s “politely but tenaciously”, while Priti Patel lauded his “achievements during the Thatcher government”.

Lady Spicer said her husband had remained politically active throughout his illness. His final letter to the Telegraph, published on May 17, criticised Theresa May’s “bizarre lack of decision”.

Educated in Vienna and at Cambridge University, Spicer founded the ERG, an influential Eurosceptic group of Conservative MPs, in 1993, after being removed as a minister in 1990 over his opposition to membership of the Exchange Rate Mechanism.

In one of his last major contributions in the House of Lords in June 2018, he set out why he wanted the UK to leave the European Union. “Briefly, I want to make it clear why for the past 30 years I have been a pain in the neck to those who want to stay in Europe. I formed the Fresh Start group and the ERG some 30 years ago. I did so for a one-word reason.

“The word I want to use is ‘patriotism’. I do not mean the fascist form of wrapping yourself up in a flag; I mean a bit of sentiment – John Major’s warm beer and the shadows of the trees across the cricket pitches, the music of Elgar, the Trooping of the Colour – but that is not the essence.”

He added: “The essence of why I oppose staying in the European Union is that it seems to me that the nation state is the best unit for democracy.”