Tributes have been paid to political commentator Hugo Young who has died after a long battle with cancer.

The 64-year-old journalist is best known as a columnist for the Guardian and Observer newspapers.

A former deputy editor of the Sunday Times, Young was the author of the acclaimed "One of Us" biography of Margaret Thatcher.

The prime minister led tributes to the journalist - who was also chairman of the Scott Trust.

"I was very sad to learn of Hugo Young's death. He was someone of exceptional ability and integrity whose journalism was always worth reading," said Tony Blair.

"He had the capacity to think originally, argue compellingly and carry conviction. And he was a genuinely nice human being. We will all miss him.

Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy added: "Hugo Young was a journalist and commentator of outstanding calibre. His loss is a great one and his contribution highly distinguished."

The editor of the Guardian newspaper Alan Rusbridger said Young was "a towering figure in British journalism".

"His twice-weekly Guardian column was, over almost 20 years, the sharpest, best informed and most humane political column in any newspaper in this country," he said.

"He was also a wise, tireless and enlightened chair of the Scott Trust, which exists to protect and nurture the Guardian and Observer.

"To lose him at the peak of his powers is a shattering blow for us and for his family."

Young married American artist Lucy Waring following the death of his first wife Helen.

He had four children.