19 April (Part 2) - The love-in continues
This is an ongoing time intensive project which will be augmented as time permits. The first five eulogies below are from the first 15% only of the overall run time. This blog will take several days to complete.
Councillor Wendy Perfect (Labour)
Two and a half hours into last week’s Council meeting it was
retiring Labour Councillor Wendy Perfect’s turn to speak. It is not easy to
become a Councillor she said. Getting selected and getting elected and then
serving the electorate. “It is not easy when Local Government is starved of
cash” but she believed “that Councillors on both sides of the Chamber wished
to serve residents well”.
She said she had been a Labour Party supporter since the age of twelve and
never changed although she did once stand for the Charlton Athletics
supporters party in Greenwich. “Charlton needed help more than Labour in
Greenwich. 290 votes for a one issue party. The highlight of the past four years has been the election of Daniel Francis MP. A fantastic MP. I am very
proud of him. It has also been a joy to work alongside Councillor Baljeet Gill in Northumberland Heath.”
Councillor Lisa Moore (Conservative)
“Tonight we say farewell to 14 Councillors plus one. {Esther Amaning who is seeking election in an unwinnable ward.]
They have shaped this borough in ways that will be felt for many years to
come. I will speak about four remarkable women”.
“Cheryl Bacon because she is the reason I am standing here. We met and
became friends at a children’s poolside and before I knew it I was out
canvassing at weekends. Thank you Cheryl for encouraging me to take the leap into local politics.”
“Baroness O’Neill who has given 28 years of service to this borough. You
welcomed me with warmth and generosity and your commitment to residents has
been extraordinary. Your kindness will stay with me for ever.”
“Councillor Sue Gower. What a privilege to be part of your Mayoral team,
your warmth, authenticiy, leadership, integrity and unending energy sets a
standard for all of us. I am honoured to have had you as my friend.”
“Councillor Perfect and I served together on Committees and she asked
questions that needed to be asked and came from genuine care.”
“My ward husband Andy Dourmoush, a steady source of support and I am
grateful for the partnership we shared. Thank you.”
Councillor Zainab Asunramu (Labour)
“I speak of my dear friend Mabel Ogundayo. We first met at University in the
East Midlands. Focused, determined, grounded and a lot of fun. Her impact
cannot be ignored. We met again while both working for Amnesty International
UK. The same values, the same passion, the same unwavering belief in
justice. And then we found ourselves as Thamesmead East colleagues which
I will always be grateful for. She has given over three terms and so much of
herself to Bexley, not for recognition and titles but because she genuinely
cares. She fought Peabody and fought for families and has been governor of three schools.”
“Mabel is a true friend and ally in both words and actions pushing for change
even when it is not popular. She will make a difference wherever she goes.”
Note: This is but a short sub-set
of the accolades showered on Councillor Ogundayo. F om what I have seen, all well deserved.
Councillor Anna Day (Labour)
“Ward colleague Stef has been great and will be missed and we have not had a
cross word in four years. He concentrated on his beloved trains and buses and I
on housing, health and community safety but I absolutely won’t miss him as a
passenger telling me the routes I should have taken and gesticulating at anybody
who gets in the way. We message each other umpteen times a day and I will
continue to send him photos of my cats.”
She thanked Council officers and urged them to join a union.
Residents were asked to remember that May 7th is a local election and not a
verdict on the Labour government. “Vote for local Councillors on what
they have achieved, not on sound bites. Make sure you vote based on positive
messages and for Councillors who can be trusted to put residents to the forefront of their decisions.”
Councillor Chris Taylor (Conservative)
Councillor Taylor wished all Conservatives “the very best in their future
endeavours but I want to particularly pay tribute to Baroness O’Neill, one of my
closest friends. She has dedicated 28 years of her life to the betterment of
Bexley residents. She has been instrumental in putting Bexley on the map. Bexley
is a special place. The Leader has delivered the new Civic site and much needed
family housing [the monstrosity on the old Civic site].”
She has regenerated Thamesmead and Sidcup High Street and saved the Queen Mary
Hospital site. A leading part in saving Bexley’s police station, I could go on and on.
“As Boris Johnson’s Outer London adviser she put Bexley’s interests front and centre
and we have all benefited. We are rightly proud.”
“I couldn’t have asked for a better ward colleague. Her commitment to residents
of Crook Log has been second to none. We will miss her greatly but her biggest impact is as a friend.”
“When I lost my seat in 2014 [to UKIP] I was devastated. Being a Councillor had
been so much part of my life and I felt I could not see the light at the end of
the tunnel. Madam Mayor, Baroness O’Neill was there for me. She doesn’t realise
how she kept me going at a very difficult time in my life and I will be forever
grateful. There will be others here with similar stories. She gave me the two
best jobs I have ever had. Cabinet Member for Adults’ Services and latterly of
Children and Families. I thank her for her faith in me.
“Baroness O’Neill is one of those rarities in politics who chose to step away
from power at a time of her own choosing. She can now add value to Bexley in the
House of Lords. She can protect our green spaces. Bexley Council’s loss is the
Upper House’s gain. We will miss you Teresa.”
Councillor Mabel Ogundayo (Labour)
“It has been the honour of my life to serve the residents
of Thamesmead for twelve years. My first aspirations were to change how people
saw politics. What politicians looked like, what they sounded like and where they came
from and I hope I have been able to do that. There are some things I won’t
miss, like sending emails in the middle of the night or taking on case work that
should take a day and instead takes up two years. I will miss the
community and the people I have been able to have a positive impact on.”
“I must thank great Council and ward colleagues like Zainab Asunramu who was
chair of the Afro-Caribbean Society when we met at university and it has been a
pleasure to know you and you will continue to do great things for this Council. Thank you so much.”
“Councillor Esther hear hear Amaning, we joined the Council at the same time and I want to thank you so much, We didn’t
understand what we were getting ourselves into but it has been amazing and
when you were my ward colleague we ran the Keep Thamesmead Tidy campaign and
we picked up lots of rubbish and did great stuff together. Esther has not
had the easiest couple of years but your resilience has inspired me. I don’t
know if you have seen Esther drive, but she recently gave up driving and
that is the best thing she could have done for anybody - and for Bexley! Me
driving you to meetings etc. has been one of the most pleasant times I have
ever had and I look forward to driving you to future lunch dates.”
“I would like to thank Stef, my fantastic Leader, while we may not always
agree, we do talk things through. I’d like to thank Officers and Peabody the
biggest landowner in Thamesmead and who made the greatest investment. When they
first arrived in Thamesmead I was very sceptical but over the years they
proved themselves to be a genuine partner and committed to Community focused
investment. They have done a really great job and with the DLR on the
horizon there are really great things to happen in Thamesmead. And to Peabody, if they are listening, please bring back the Youth Club.”
“To Councillors, thank you for making me the person I am today whether I
wanted it or not. You have helped me grow and I look forward to seeing a
Labour Council after May. Thank you everyone.”
Councillor Caroline Newton (Conservative)
“I’d like to take a few moments to thank all Members for putting
yourself forward for election in 2022 and for everything that has followed
since. The role is not easy and not always recognised. We serve our residents
with integrity, dedication and commitment. We have worked to run this borough in
the best interests of those we represent and it is something we should all be
proud of. Secondly I want to thank Officers who play a vital role in that day in and day out.”
“To Members who are not standing for re-election, thank you for your service
whether your time here has been short or long. Your contribution should not be under-estimated.
“Some colleagues I should like to recognise, firstly the three
amigos of West Heath. Councillor Davey, a long standing Councillor and party
activist always ready with an unfiltered view cutting straight to the heart of
the issue. To Councillor Read, someone I have worked closely with both in
Scrutiny and in Cabinet. His passion to care for young people has been clear
throughout and his leadership delivered an outstanding record in children’s
social care. And to Councillor Reader, a quiet supporter who always has a word
of encouragement or comfort and a capable and diligent chairman.”
“And Councillor Diment, I am sure Councillor Diment during his two terms has had
fuller work days than he ever had when in full time employment. His forensic
attention to detail, drive and professionalism have been evident in every role
he has held. I am personally grateful for his work in Education, helping to lay
the foundations for the progress we are now seeing. I wsih him a happy
retirement and lots of fun with your new grandson.”
“And finally but not last and not retiring in any sense, Baroness O’Neill. A
Leader, a mentor, a friend and above all a tireless advocate for our residents.
Another Leader of this borough often said being Council Leader is a lonely and
tough role. Any Officer I speak to, talks about her ability to master detail, to
challenge constructively to ensure everything we do delivers the right outcome
efficiently and effectively. It is her passion for doing her best for children
and young people that stands out. Her commitment and expertise has always been
clear. On a personal note I am deeply grateful for the support, guidance and
friendship she has shown to me and my family over many years and I echo
Councillor Taylor’s comments earlier. I am not sure she knows the impact of that support.”
“Her time as Leader of this Council has been truly remarkable, record breaking
in length amd significant in impact and I have no doubt that in the years ahead she
will be a powerful advocate in the House of Lords for this borough, for young
people and for local government. To those standing again, good luck and to all
of those stepping down, thank you. Your services mattered. Your work has made a
difference and this Council and this borough are better for it.
Note: The foregoing is not absolutely verbatim. Whole sentences are occasionally omitted and what remains
is edited for brevity, that is, some redundant words are dropped. It may be regarded as verbatim with omissions.
There is a lot more of this to come.