Lynne

Today I was devastated to hear of the death of my friend, my mentor, my colleague, Wibsey Councillor Lynne Smith.

She was there by my side when I won my first election in May 2012 (pictured below) and always looked out for me, encouraged me and showed me the ropes, so to speak. I worked with her on the Governance & Audit Committee and was amazed at her shrewd, analytical mind and her passion for ensuring that processes were both fit for purpose and adhered to. Woe betide anyone who didn’t follow correct procedure. She had a very sharp tongue and used it when warranted but only because her heart was in the right place.

We had a couple of run ins early on but we worked it through and when I thought she was out of order I told her so and again we worked it through. Our friendship was forged through these exchanges and our honesty with one another. We both put our names in the hat for the selection for a parliamentary seat and kept our friendship intact. She taught me how it is truly possible to have disagreements in politics and still be friends but that it was important to air those disagreements one to one and not to snipe and stab others in the back. If only others could be like her.

When I was first elected she saw that certain other people were attempting to take me under their wing and sadly they turned out not to be trusted. In fact they were downright toxic. They didn't have anyone's best interests at heart, other than their own. They would bitch about her and yet she maintained her dignity and kept her focus on what was important. To Lynne what was important, was serving others and not letting anyone else distract her from serving the community she was elected to represent. She poured her life out to serve others and to ensure fairness and equality for all. She cared deeply and was a true socialist.

Lynne, was a true friend and she understood the value of friendship and was passionate about encouraging people wanting to learn and develop themselves to be as effective as they possibly could be, to better serve the community and the whole District.

Last week, we had the first part of our Labour Group AGM and she came down to participate. The atmosphere of that meeting was particularly unpleasant and there was a significant lack of courtesy and respect and yet she didn’t fight back, she retained her dignity.

Our Group will be the worse without her and she will be a tough act to follow both as a ward Councillor and as the Chair of Governance & Audit. 

I will miss you Lynne on both a personal and a professional level. You were a dear friend. God bless you and may you rest in peace.