Tributes paid as former council leader dies

Tributes have been paid to Mary Mears, the former leader of Brighton and Hove City Council, who has died at the age of 77.

Mrs Mears was the last Conservative leader of the council, holding the top job from 2008 to 2011.

She grew up in Whitehawk and was a market trader by background, selling fruit and veg, but also worked in a hairdressers early in her career.

Her working-class roots informed her approach to housing and, in particular, council housing and she was proud to have started work on the first significant new council housebuilding locally for decades.

It was partly a housing campaign that propelled the Tories to office in Brighton and Hove although, with her Irish links, she wasn’t keen on being called a Tory.

But the Labour-led council held a ballot of council tenants, with the aim of winning approval to privatise about 16,000 council houses and flats.

Despite the poor state of many of those homes at the time, the tenants voted to stick with the council as their landlord.

It was one of three issues – along with a school catchments review and unpopular plans for the King Alfred swimming pool and leisure centre – that swung the next local elections in 2007.

Mrs Mears spent the first year focused on housing, ensuring funds were fund to bring every council house and flat up to the “decent homes standard”.

In 2008, as the credit crunch hit public and private finances – she became leader and worked with Maria Caulfield, later the MP for Lewes, on her housing plans.

One deal, for maintenance and repairs, involved a big national company called Mears. She rarely complained as she rode out the claims of nepotism because the truth was there was no link whatsoever.

Mrs Mears also made common cause with political rivals such as Bill Randall, later the first Green leader of the council, and Anne Meadows, who later switched from Labour to the Tories.

Between them, over eight years of Conservative and Green administrations, they showed what was possible as Brighton and Hove became one of the most innovative councils in dealing with housing despite significant government constraints.

Mrs Mears had been due to become mayor in May 2022 but had a stroke some months before. She was left paralysed but her mind still sharp. She died this morning (Sunday 14 July).

Former fellow Conservative councillor Dawn Barnett said: “Mary was a wonderful woman. She was very astute and she had an amazing brain.

“When she was leader of the council, she helped every area of the city. She was very well respected.

“It’s a great shame that this happened before she could become mayor because she really deserved it and she would have been a fantastic mayor.”

Mrs Mears served as a board member of BHT Sussex, previously known as Brighton Housing Trust.

The former BHT chief executive Andy Winter, who previously served as a Brighton Labour councillor, said: “It was over housing and homelessness that I first tangled with, then campaigned alongside, and finally became friends with Mary.

“In spite of our political differences, we found common purpose around homelessness and anti-social behaviour, agreeing on many solutions, although not always sharing the same analysis as to their causes.

“I soon realised that Mary was coming from a place of compassion for homeless people.”

Father Richard Butcher Tuset, rector of St Wulfran’s Church, Ovingdean, said: “I had the privilege of working with Mary Mears over a long period of time, initially when I was head of policy and communities for Brighton and Hove City Council and then, in the past few years, as her priest.

“Mary was a strong and determined leader who knew what she wanted to achieve. She was one of the hardest working people I have ever known and her commitment to creating opportunities for people to thrive and prosper was at the heart of her motivation for public service.

“Mary wasn’t interested in giving handouts but would do all she could to ensure a hand up was available for those in need.

“Others will speak of her extraordinary legacy regarding social housing provision in the city, and rightly so, but I wanted to remember her leadership around change and innovation in public service delivery.

“Well ahead of her time, she established new ways of working in the council, using data and resident participation to understand issues and challenges.

“And then, through collaboration with communities and service providers, she developed new and innovative ways of delivering outcomes that sought to make a real difference.

“Her commitment to supporting and resourcing the community and third sector was a key part of this work.

“Latterly, in this sad period of illness, I have been sharing Holy Communion with Mary in her nursing home and through this ministry I have had the opportunity to know her in different ways.

“I was often moved by her ongoing fierce passion for the city and care for its most vulnerable residents, her love and dedication for family and friends and her deep and certain faith.

“She loved the Magnificat or Song of Mary in Luke’s Gospel and would smile throughout when I was reading it, but especially during these lines: ‘He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.’

“May she rest in peace.”

Journalist and campaigner Jean Calder, who also served as Labour councillor, said: “Mary Mears was a strong, clever working-class woman, a market stall holder, a hairdresser and later a leader of the council.

“It is a tragedy that she died as she did because she had so much more to offer.

“I first knew Mary as a political opponent and, arrogant as I was, it took a while for me to realise how committed she was to all members of the community she served.

“Over time I realised we shared a deep concern to protect women from violence. We began to meet for coffee and when we launched the campaign for a statue for suffragette Mary Clarke, Mary was one of the first to support.

“On our first video she spoke movingly about all the suffragettes had done for women like her and the need to remember them.

“Commemoration was important to Mary, especially those who like Clarke had died violently or in conflict. She was a stalwart of the Royal British Legion.”

Last year, only the efforts of a last-minute volunteer ensured that poppies were on sale in the streets in the centre of Brighton.

Ms Calder added: “One way of commemorating her would be to ensure that poppies are sold once again.”

The former Labour leader of the council Daniel Yates said: “Dreadful news to hear this morning. Mary was a very tough political opponent to so many in the city but I rarely saw her being unkind or unfair.

“She was deeply passionate about council housing those communities and the families whose lives are transformed through social housing.

“I hope the city can do something to truly celebrate Mary’s contribution to our city.

“Recently the council announced they had purchased a new block in Whitehawk. It would be a fitting tribute to see it named after her.”

One of her former Conservative colleagues, Jan Young, said: “No words can describe the lovely lady I knew.

“Mary was a died-in-the-wool Brightonian, worked in the open market for many years on the Mears fruit and veg stall and was very popular with the residents.

“Mary was loyal to all of the residents of Brighton during her years, regardless of which party they voted for, and during her time as leader she saved over £40 million on waste and £79 million on value for money.

“There were no strikes, no redundancies and most of all no rise in council tax during her term.

“Mary had an office in King’s House, with a wardrobe being her main furniture. Almost every evening after a full day’s work, she would change into her evening clothes kept in this wardrobe to attend the many meetings and events that she was invited to.

“When Mary put her faith in me and put me in charge of finance, we worked well together and even went we went on cruises or holidays together. We worked on the city’s budget most evenings.

“Mary and I were best friends. We were going to do her mayoralty together and were so looking forward to the future.

“I know there will be so many residents with lovely stories of Mary She was a one-off and the likes of which will never be seen again.”

Paul Wood, who chairs the Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven Conservative Association, said: “All of us in the association are deeply sad to hear about the loss of our ever-loyal Mary Mears.

“We are truly honoured to have been team members and friends of Mary’s for many decades.

“Mary was born, raised and lived and breathed Brighton and Hove and dedicated her time to serving its residents.

“Mary had been due to become the Mayor when she became Ill a couple of year ago. We know how much she was looking forward to this honour and no doubt would have represented the city with the same gusto and resolve with which she had ran the city a earlier as its council leader.

“We have no doubt that Mary Mears was the best mayor the city never had.

“Even after being taking Ill, Mary’s dedication didn’t waver. She loved being kept informed with what was going within the city and its politics whenever any of us visited her.

“We are very proud to have honoured her contribution to the city in the autumn of last year at a small cross-party event at her nursing home (see picture above).

“Mary’s many friends from across the political spectrum spoke in Mary’s honour. This was testament to how admired and respected Mary was.

“We were able to present Mary with a specially commissioned vase depicting key Brighton and Hove landmarks. Mary – and all of us – greatly enjoyed the occasion.

“Goodbye friend, colleague, and city ambassador. Rest in peace.”

Mrs Mears leaves a son, Simon.

Her funeral is due to take place at noon on Thursday 22 August in the Downs Main Chapel at the cemetery and crematorium, in Bear Road, Brighton, to be followed by a private committal.