Councillors stand together in tribute

Tributes have been paid to a Perthshire councillor at the first local authority meeting, and on the committee he convened, since his death from Covid-19.

Henry Anderson, SNP councillor for Almond and Earn, was the chairman of the local re view body (LRB), which sat for the first time since his death on December 27 at the age of 68.

The tributes were led by his SNP colleague, Councillor Tom Gray, who praised Mr Anderson’s commitment.

“Very sadly, the convener of this LRB was Councillor Henry Anderson and as many people may be aware, Henry sadly died barely 10 days ago and it is his funeral next Tuesday,” said Mr Gray.

He said Mr Anderson had been a dedicated member of the council since he was voted on in 2012.

“It didn’t matter what he took on, he took it on with great relish and gusto,” he added.

“Henry dedicated his life to the council and to his own community.

“A greatly missed person and this committee is very much weakened by Henry’s lack of presence.

“I would like to express our sorrow and our sympathies to his family and all that knew Henry.

“He was a lovely person, he really was.”

Liberal Democrat councillor Willie Wilson took over the meeting as acting convener in what he called “very sad circumstances”.

He said: “I want to emphasise and totally agree with Councillor Tom Gray ’s brief tribute to Henry Anderson.

“He threw his life into his council work and was dedicated to it.

“Our deepest sympathies and thoughts are with (his wife) Shirley and the family right now and also with his many friends and colleagues on the council.”

Mr Anderson, a former taxi driver, died just a few weeks after he contracted the virus.

His family have urged people to learn a lesson from his death and get the vaccine at the earliest opportunity.

The Perth and Kinross SNP group is hoping to have a street at the new Oudenarde development at Bridge of Earn named after him.

He was a lovely person, he really was

REMEMBERED: Henry Anderson was an SNP councillor.