Remembering Brian Hodgson (Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats)

Remembering Brian Hodgson

September 11, 2007 12:00 AM
By Cllr Zoé Patrick in County Council meeting

It is with great sadness that I pay tribute to Brian Hodgson today. At first I thought, it was only going to be me to speak on behalf of the whole group, so I am now pleased that with others being able to speak on the many different causes and campaigns they shared with Brian, I can concentrate on 3 aspects.

Firstly, I also find myself in the honourable position of occupying the role that I best remember Brian having responsibility for in the past. It was during the time of the then joint administration when our party shared power with the Conservatives and Labour were the Opposition party and Brian was their leader. Indeed, when I moved into my office, I discovered a multitude of papers which belonged to Brian and the Labour group and I am only grateful now that I was able to hand those papers over to Mark do not have the upsetting task of having to sort through them now. We all must know how distressing it can be to deal with belongings of the departed.

Instead, I can remember with fondness the long debates we then used to have at full Council, where there was never an agenda without a significant number of motions from Brian. Indeed, I also remember fondly, how he would look across to our group for support in trying to get one of his motions through council. And how now I can see, ironically, and feel exactly how he felt. How whatever, you do, when you are in opposition, it is very hard to make an impact, and indeed to make any difference. He understood that, and I now understand that only too well. And although I can share his frustration, what I can say wholeheartedly is what an extremely hard act he is to follow, and I would not even try to attempt it.

Keith Mitchell was right to say what a true gentleman he was, and it is this aspect which will never be forgotten. He would always call me 'sister' and he was always a pleasure to meet and greet. And when I did take over this role, he was the first person to ring me up and congratulate me and wish me well. And when I sent a card to him with my commiserations when he lost his seat at the last election to say how much I would miss him, he rang me that evening to say he never expected this and thanked me for my kind words.

However, the second aspect I would like to share is the first time I met Brian, around 15 years ago, long before I had even thought of becoming a County Councillor. He came to visit our local primary school in Grove, as the then spokesperson for the Education Committee. We were about to lose the bus subsidy for taking our secondary school children from Grove into Wantage, and local parents had formed a campaign to try to fight to keep the school bus. Brian was the only County Councillor to come out to see us, and we were all greatly impressed by his concern and attention to detail and the fact that he had given up his evening to listen to us.

But finally, I would like to briefly share the last time I saw Brian, which was earlier this year in May, when I went to give a talk at Banbury's Supper Club about 'Women in Politics'. This was a passion Brian shared with me about getting better representation amongst our councillors, and we know how this has been taken up with the Councillors Commission. I had been doing some research for my talk, and Brian was eager to help, and many a midnight hour when I was beavering away on my computer, an email would come through from Brian with the latest statistics he had discovered. It was always that attention to detail, that eagerness to help and share a passion. He came to the talk and we enjoyed a wonderful evening of debate, and that was the last time we were to meet.

Brian showed us all that he was a great man, his boundaries stretched across all politics. He wished to make the world a better place and I believe he has.

Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats