Tributes have been paid to a "passionate and enthusiastic" Nottingham councillor who has died at the age of 65. Sue Johnson was first elected as a St Ann's councillor for Labour in 2007 and had served in the area ever since.
After 16 years at Nottingham City Council, it was announced earlier this month that Sue Johnson was one of 19 Labour councillors who would be standing down at the next election on May 4. Nottingham City Council confirmed the news of her passing on Tuesday (March 28).
Councillor David Mellen, the Leader of Nottingham City Council, said: "Sue lived in her ward and was a staunch advocate for the people she served. Although she had struggled with illness in recent years and was due to stand down at the next election, Sue remained a passionate advocate for Nottingham.
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"I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to her for her service to the people of St Ann's and to the City Council as a whole. Our thoughts are with her family at this difficult time." Councillor Johnson said that her aim in local politics was "making St Ann's a better place for people to live in and for families to bring up their children."
When first elected in 2007, Councillor Johnson's fellow ward councillors in St Ann's were former council leader Jon Collins and Dave Liversidge. The latter still serves on Nottingham City Council, but was also announced as one of those who will be standing down in May.
Councillor Liversidge said: "I only found out myself on Monday so I know nothing yet of the circumstances, but I can say that Sue was a very popular person in the ward she represented. She sort of rose to become the matriarch of the family.
"She was very passionate on women's issues and she was very respected for helping local people, particularly people who were at the bottom of the pile. Sue was an incredibly bouncy person and enthusiastic in everything she did."
In its own tribute to Sue Johnson, Nottingham City Council said: "She was a champion for people in her ward – in particular, when she was Chair of the Area Committee for the East of the city. She was part of a team of ward councillors who would hold public surgeries twice a week to help citizens with their problems.
"She would often think of new ways of reaching out to citizens, such as her popular 'Tea and Cake Consultation' meetings at warden-aided and older people's housing complexes... She was a strong supporter of the St Ann's Carnival, local tree-planting and ensuring local clubs had school holiday events and activities for children."
Sue Johnson held several roles during her years of service at Nottingham City Council, including as Chair of the Children and Young People's Scrutiny Committee. She also sat on bodies including the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Joint City and County Health Scrutiny Committee.
As well as her work on Nottingham City Council, Sue Johnson was one of those who founded POW Nottingham. Since 1990, the organisation has fought to promote and protect the rights of sex workers and now has a base on Independent Street.
Dave Liversidge added: "She got stuck into everything she did and even though you can't always help people out with their problems, Sue would also go that extra mile every time to try. She'll leave a lasting legacy in St Ann's and in Nottingham more generally not just as a councillor, but as a very well-known and popular person."
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