My friend Eleanor Stanier, who has died aged 81, helped to turn the political colour of the London borough of Richmond Upon Thames from true blue to apparently indelible orange. In the late 1960s the Lib Dems had no seat on the council, but from the 70s on, Eleanor was among those who campaigned and strove so hard that Richmond is now without a Tory councillor.
Eleanor was a hard-working local politician, who represented Mortlake and became mayor of Richmond, 2001-02. As a councillor she made proper schooling for underprivileged children a priority. When the local postmaster was at loggerheads with the Post Office and East Sheen’s local branch was closed, Eleanor speedily got another one opened.
