Tributes paid to popular politician

TRIBUTES have been paid to long-serving and popular politician Ernie White.

Conservative councillor and former Blaby council leader Ernie White died at the age of 76 on January 2 at his home in Stoney Stanton, after a “brave fight” with a short illness.

He was the longest serving politician at County Hall, first elected to represent the Stoney Stanton and Croft division in 1975, and re-elected an unprecedented 11 times since then.

Lib Dem councillor David Bill, who represents Hollycroft division on Leicestershire County Council, said: “He held the respect of people from all parts of the political spectrum, putting his principles before that of his party.

“Most notably he stood out against the break-up of the old county council some years ago.

“His abiding interest was in community and further education, working with the then director of education, Andrew Fairbairn.

“It must have been painful to him to have to preside over so many reductions in the services which had been developed over the years.

“He was a prolific author writing several books about the county and the county council. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him.”

Don Wright worked alongside Cllr White during his tenure as Lib Dem representative on the council between 2005 and 2013, when he was a member of the educational committee and chairman of two cross-party committees on educational issues.

They also attended the same school during the 1950s. He said: “We both attended the City Boys Grammar School in Leicester and we were lucky enough to play our football and cricket there at Grace Road, which is now owned exclusively by Leicestershire County Cricket Club.

“The pitches were magnificent but Ernie jokingly claimed that I kept him out of the first XI cricket team.

“Despite our political differences sometimes, he was highly respected by all who knew him for his decency, honesty and his long years of service in the public life of this county.”

Nick Rushton, leader of Leicestershire County Council, passed his condolences to Cllr White’s family, including his wife, Hilary.

He said: “He was hugely respected in his electoral patch in Stoney Stanton and Croft, as he was across local government and the public and voluntary sectors in the city and county.

“Ernie was also a friend and a political ally, who relished his public health and physical activity brief in the county council’s Cabinet.

“He was an outstanding chairman of the Health and Wellbeing Board, and his expertise and commitment in those areas was locally and nationally recognised.

“Ernie will be greatly missed but he leaves a wonderful legacy of public service.”

Councillor Terry Richardson, who succeeded Cllr White as Blaby District Council leader, said: “Ernie was one of those rare individuals who placed public service above all else, and, served on this council for some 20 years, becoming leader in 2004 a position he maintained until standing down in 2015.

“It is fair to say that he helped shape this council into the great council it is today.

“He was truly dedicated to making Blaby a better place and I firmly believe that his legacy will be that he achieved that goal.

“He was hugely respected across the political spectrum and by those he represented in his ward of Stanton and Flamville and will be greatly missed by all who knew him.”

Leader of the county council’s Lib Dem opposition group Simon Galton also paid tribute to Cllr White. He said: “Ernie was a Conservative and that’s where his loyalties lay, but he also demonstrated an element of independence from the Tory group.

“He was able to see the wider issues beyond narrow party politics and that was just one of the things that made him a very effective councillor.

“Everyone will him.” miss