Harlow Liberal Democrats

Glennis George 1948 - 2000

The Liberal Democrats now have 8 councillors, following the local council elections on Thursday May 4th 2000 - our best result for many years. We are elated and excited, but we are also conscious of the Councillor we do not have - Glennis George.

Glennis George died suddenly on 1 March 2000 at the age of 51. Members, friends and supporters were shocked by her untimely death.

We decided that going ahead and winning in Mark Hall South and our other target wards was the best memorial we could give to Glennis. It truly was "what she would have wanted", for despite some health problems she had been working full time for Liberal Democrat victory for the past 3 years.

Here is the note Cllr. Lorna Spenceley sent to local activists:

Subject: Glennis George Date: 2 March 2000

It is with considerable shock and distress that I have to report the sudden death yesterday of Glennis George.

Glennis was not only our star candidate for the forthcoming local elections in Harlow, where the mere sight of her leaflets had already forced the Leader of the Council to announce his decision to quit the authority in May rather than lose to her in the ballot box. She was also our Local Party Chair and Membership Secretary.

She was our 'Mrs Motivator', our organiser and cajoler of helpers, who were taking on roles and responsibilities in increasing numbers with her enthusiastic encouragement. And she was our caseworker supreme, getting problems fixed and earning serious respect from local residents for everything she undertook - essentially a full time job for the last six months.

Glennis will be literally irreplaceable. At this stage of our most ambitious and extensive local election campaign, her loss is a devastating blow. We have, unfortunately, no time yet to grieve, but need to make urgent decisions about candidates and campaign organisation, and rewrite all our plans for May.

We have already decided that, despite the circumstances, our best tribute to Glennis will be to continue to work and earn a good crop of victories in the May elections in memory of all that Glennis was and did.

Lorna Spenceley
Harlow

Glennis was Chair of Harlow Liberal Democrats, and caseworker for newly-elected councillor Nick Macy in Mark Hall South. She had been selected as prospective candidate for Mark Hall South in the council elections in May, and we were sure she would have been elected as the second Liberal Democrat councillor for the ward.

Glennis and the team in February

Glennis George grew up in Churchfield, and went to The Spinney and Mark Hall School - as did her children. Before moving to Guilfords she lived in Harefield, and was looking forward to representing the area which had been so central to her life.

Glennis joined Harlow Liberals in 1978, initially helping her mother Wyn to deliver leaflets locally. Over the years she had been Minutes Secretary, Liberal News Officer, Ward Secretary and then Chair, stood for election several times, and in 1999 was elected Chair of Harlow Liberal Democrats.

Glennis with Nick Macy in The Stow, May 1999
Glennis stood in Mark Hall South in the 1998 by-election, then kept on campaigning. In May 1998 she polled 400 votes to Labour's 603. She was determined that we would win it next time, but due to health problems did not feel able to stand herself in 1999: instead she campaigned for Nick Macy, who won with 707 votes. This was the first seat we ever won in this part of Harlow.

Glennis had mastered skills on the computer which enabled her to keep the membership records for the party and handle a massive amount of casework and correspondence, both on paper and via the internet.

She was a great campaigner, who could also organise social events. Glennis proved that reliance on a walking stick was no bar to achievement.

Glennis leaves two daughters Emma and Amanda; a son Gareth; and five grand-children. Emma and Gareth both stood as Liberal Democrat candidates this May. They are the third generation of their family to campaign for Liberalism and Liberal Democracy.

Emma has sent us the poem that she wrote for Glennis.

See also the Press Release and the front of Going for Gold for April 2000. Click on any of the above photographs for a larger version.

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