Hertfordshire County Council pays tribute to Cllr Paul Clark

Liberal Democrat Cllr Clark had been elected to the county council in May
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A meeting of Hertfordshire County Council was paused on Tuesday, December 14, in memory of Cllr Paul Clark.

Liberal Democrat Cllr Clark – who had been elected to the county council in May – died last week, aged 65, after being diagnosed with Covid-19.

In addition to his role of on the county council, Cllr Clark had been a member of North Herts District Council for 25 years – where he was deputy leader, as well as executive member for planning and leader of the Liberal Democrat group.

Hertfordshire County Council pays tribute to Cllr Paul ClarkHertfordshire County Council pays tribute to Cllr Paul Clark
Hertfordshire County Council pays tribute to Cllr Paul Clark

And at the meeting it was those councillors who serve on both the county council and North Herts District Council that led the tributes.

Away from politics, fellow Liberal Democrat Cllr Steve Jarvis – who had known Cllr Clark for more than 30 years – said that Cllr Clark had once been a ballroom dancer ‘of some competitive note’.

And he also highlighted the years he spent playing rugby in his youth – and then coaching young players at Hitchin Rugby Club.

He also pointed to his support for Hitchin Rugby Club and spectator at Saracens – as well as being ‘an unusually keen supporter’ of Barnet Football Club.

But he said that is was as a representative and champion for Hitchin that most people will have known Paul – for short periods losing his Hitchin Highbury ward seat, but then winning it back at the ‘next possible opportunity’.

Before he retired, Cllr Clark had worked for Highways England, councillors were told.

And – in a lighter moment – Cllr Jarvis said he had tried to get him to make the motorway signs read ‘vote liberal democrat'.

“I was never able to persuade him that he should change them all to ‘vote Liberal Democrat’ – he seemed to think that would be bad for his career,” he said.

Cllr Jarvis told the council that Cllr Clark – who he said had been double vaccinated – had been the first person he had known well who had died from Covid.

And he told councillors : ” . . . it is perhaps only when someone who you have known well is personally affected in this way that one really comes to understand that the pandemic is not over.”

Later adding: ” . . . I hope when we think of Paul, that what we can do in his memory is make sure we do everything we can – as individuals, as leaders of communities and lobbyists – to ensure that as few other families have to suffer in the way that Paul’s has.”

Meanwhile Labour leader Cllr Judi Billing said that Cllr Clark’s death had been “really shocking”.

And she said it had made her reflect on how councillors treat each other.

She said he had been an “extremely good local councillor” who fought for his constituents.

And she said that she was “terribly terribly sad” not to be working with him.

Green Party Cllr Ben Crystal said Cllr Clark’s loss was “a most dreadful tragedy”.

And Conservative leader of the county council Cllr Richard Roberts – who admitted he had not known Cllr Clark well – also paid tribute.

“I am personally and on behalf of my group and of the administration deeply saddened by his loss – for him and his family,” he said.

At the county council Cllr Clark had been a member of the county council’s development control committee and highways and transport cabinet panel.

Formally announcing his death to the meeting of the full council, deputy chairman Cllr Annie Brewster said he was “a dedicated and hard-working champion of this local community”.

Leader of the Liberal Democrat group Cllr Stephen Giles-Medhurst also highlighted some of the other Liberal Democrat roles that Cllr Clark had filled.

And he said he had been “shocked to hear of his passing”.