[19
APR 00] COVENTRY CITY COUNCIL NEWS
Councillors Bid Farewell
BY ANTONY HOPKER
Councillors
have paid tribute to one of their colleagues who is standing down next
month after more than 40 years’ service.
Harry
Richards was praised for his commitment to the council and service in
Westwood and St Michael’s ward.
Cllr
Richards has decided to leave the council when his term ends at this
year’s local elections on May 4.
Long-standing
colleague Dave Edwards led the tributes to rugby-loving Cllr Richards.
He said he was owed a debt of gratitude.
He
said:
“Many
of us who were fighting for the abolition of the 11-plus will be
grateful to him for his support.”
Other
councillors standing down at the election on May 4 include Maggie
Rosher, who is retiring through ill-health.
She
was Lord Mayor in 1998, but had to reluctantly decide to step down
after spending some time in a coma when she fell ill last year.
Cllr
Arthur Waugh said:
“If
you take together the total number of years’ service from these
members retiring then you have nearly 100 years of public
service.”
Cllr
Nick Nolan paid tribute to his ward colleague Alex Boyd, who is
stepping down after 22 years as a councillor, including a spell as
Lord Mayor.
He
said:
“If
Alex gave you his word it was a bond. If he was here now he would
try to stop me from doing this.”
Other
councillors leaving service are Lord Mayor Joan Wright’s husband
Gordon Wright (Foleshill), Mohammed Asif (Upper Stoke) and Doreen Cox
(Radford).
Familiar
faces standing are Neil Rider, who faces a stiff challenge from the
Liberal Democrats in Upper Stoke, who are pouring all their resources
into the ward to back candidate Derek Benefield.
Mr
Rider, a former Bablake councillor, lost out last year in St Michaels
when the Socialist Alliance candidate Karen McKay beat him.
Former
Labour councillor Shabbir Ahmed will be standing for the Conservatives
in Foleshill. He will face a head-to-head fight with Meto Lakha, wife
of Binley and Willenhall councillor Ram Lakha.
Mr
Ahmed resigned from the Labour party over allegations of racism in
1998. He contested St Michael’s as a Tory, but lost out to Socialist
Dave Nellist.
Margaret
Rigby, who has won awards for her community work in Stoke and Gosford
Green, will take up the Conservative challenge in Henley ward against
Tom White.
Overall
Labour and Conservative are contesting each of the 18 wards. There are
11 Liberal Democrat candidates, seven from the Social Alliance (Nellist)
party, an Independent, and Independent Green and a Marxist.
SEE: [19 APR 00] FULL
LIST OF CANDIDATES FOR MAY 4 ELECTION
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