Lib Dem Tilsley going strong after 50 years
ON May 4 1968 a fresh faced 23-year-old Paul Tilsley became the newly-elected Liberal Party councillor for Aston.
He campaigned at a time when the area was going through great change and regeneration with the arrival of the motorway and Aston Expressway and served the area until he was outsted in 1982. Six years later he was voted back on Birmingham City Council, this time in Sheldon where the Liberal Democrats have been dominant.
And 50 years on he is looking forward to at least another four years as councillor for Sheldon. Following his win last week, he took a brief moment to celebrate his ‘golden election anniversary’ with family, colleagues and a bottle of champagne.
But after first rejecting the title of ‘veteran’ he had to concede that with 44 years on the council, longer than any other current member, he probably is.
“I hope I made difference in Aston because I was sticking up for people who had nothing. They were fighting cor- porate fascism as it,” he said.
During his enforced break he remained a member of the West Midlands County Council until it was abolished in 1986. Then returned as a city councillor two years later.
“It’s 30 years since I’ve been a councillor in Sheldon, whilst it’s reasonably well heeled there are still problems there, there is still a community which needs supporting,” he said. “I like to think I and my colleagues have made that difference to the community over those years.”
Cllr deputy council of the coalition and 2012. I saw Tilsley was also leader of the for seven years Lib Dem-Tory between 2005