Tributes paid after death of councillor

FIFE LABOUR Party has announced the death of stalwart councillor Mike Rumney.

Mr Rumney served the Dunfermline area for nearly two decades representing the communities he loved.

He died yesterday after battling cancer but worked tirelessly and served as a councillor for Dunfermline South and as chairman of Dunfermline Area Committee right up until the day he died.

Fellow Dunfermline councillor and friend Bob Young said: “Mike had fought his illness with determination, strength and dignity.

“He was determined to continue to work hard for the people of his ward and for the people of Dunfermline as area chairman and he never gave up.

“His commitment to Dunfermline and to Fife was absolute and he will be a massive loss to both the Labour Party and to the communities he served.”

As area chairman for Dunfermline, Mr Rumney had been driving forward the town centre regeneration project and had secured £1 million of investment into the town centre.

His passion was to tackle inequality and social deprivation and he used his position to focus the council’s drive on these issues and bringing about improvement in the housing estates he was proud to represent.

Fife Council leader Alex Rowley said: “Tonight there is deep sadness within Fife Council and across the communities that Mike served.

“Although he had been ill, he had continued to work with his busy schedule as the area chair of Dunfermline and his death has therefore come as a shock to everyone.

“Our thoughts at this time are very much with his wife Sandra and their family.”

Councillor Mike Rumney.