It is 50 years to the day since Sir Bob Russell was first elected to Colchester Council, in 1971. In the half-century that has elapsed, he has spent 31 years as a borough councillor and 18 as the town's MP. Since 2015, he has proudly served in the honorary position of High Steward. In this interview with Edward Beney, he reflects on five decades of public service in his home town.

FIFTY years ago today – Thursday, May 13, 1971 – 25-year-old Bob Russell was elected to Colchester Council.

The now knighted Sir Bob Russell is marking his 50th anniversary of public life in Colchester - a record only bettered by former owner and editor of the Essex County Standard (the Gazette’s sister paper) Sir Gurney Benham, who achieved 51 years on the town council until his death in 1944.

Sir Bob’s 50 years involve 31 years as a borough councillor until 2002, 18 years as Colchester’s Member of Parliament from 1997 to 2015, with the first of those five serving as both a councillor and MP, and, since November 2015, in the honorary position of High Steward.

In recognition of his long service as a councillor, he was made an honorary alderman in 2002.

He was mayor in 1986-87 and leader of the council from 1987 to 1991.

Sir Bob was knighted at Buckingham Palace by the Queen in her jubilee year, 2012, for his public service to Colchester.

When he was elected in 1971, the Gazette reported that the young Russell and his colleague Graham Bober, slightly younger, were the first councillors to be elected who were not born until after the Second World War.

Although he ceased being MP in May 2015, Sir Bob has maintained a high profile with that of the historic title of High Steward for life being the most prominent in terms of official recognition which places him second only to the mayor.

The borough council which Bob Russell joined in 1971 was completely different to that which exists today – both geographically and for having significantly greater responsibilities half-a-century ago.

The centuries’ old boundaries were, to the west, Lexden at King Coel Road and Grymes Dyke, the south along Roman River Valley, the east at Salary Brook and the north roughly what is now the line of the A12 bypass.

Surrounding villages – such as Rowhedge, Stanway, West Bergholt and Boxted, as far as Tiptree, Marks Tey and Dedham – were in a separate council area called Lexden and Winstree Rural District (the names of two Saxon Hundreds, although Lexden “village” itself was in the ancient borough) while Wivenhoe and West Mersea had small Urban District Councils.

All merged in 1974 to create today’s Colchester Borough.

The council which Bob Russell joined in 1971 was responsible for highways, its own bus company, a thriving port, education, sewage works, water supply, parks, cemetery and crematorium, libraries, museums, planning, some elements of health and housing, with its own direct workforce building council houses.

The annual Oyster Feast at Colchester Town Hall , Sir Bob Russell 30/10/2015

Serving with distinction - Sir Bob Russell has been part of public life in Colchester for 50 years

All were governed by separate committees, with all 36 members directly involved in making decisions – with many matters referred to the full council for debate and determination.

Meetings were on a six-week cycle.

The reorganisation of local government in 1974 stripped the council of responsibility for water, sewage, education, libraries and health.

In later years the bus company was sold, the port was closed and the direct building works department shut.

A few years ago all highways functions were forcibly taken over by Essex County Council.

Sir Bob said: “Today’s council, with 51 councillors, has considerably fewer responsibilities now than it did 50 years ago.

"Councillors meet less frequently.

"Instead of committees, much of the work is done by a cabinet of just seven councillors with a considerable amount of decisions delegated to officers rather than taken by elected councillors.”

He added that in 1971 there were no allowances paid to councillors.

These were introduced in 1974 and today each councillor receives a minimum of £125 a week.

Sir Bob has witnessed the evolution of politics over the past 50 years.

In 1971 he was elected as a Labour councillor for New Town Ward, switching in 1981 to the newly-formed Social Democratic Party, which, in 1988, merged with the Liberal Party to become the Liberal Democrats, under whose banner he was elected MP for Colchester in 1997.

He was elected nine times to serve New Town Ward and was elected four times as MP – the first Liberal Democrat MP in the East of England.

Sir Bob concluded: “None of my public life could have been achieved without the support of my wife and family.

"Nor without the support of political colleagues from happier times in the past and that of my wonderful office team during my time as MP.

"I am grateful to the residents of New Town Ward for their support throughout the time I was one of their councillors and across Colchester to the thousands of residents who supported me during the 18 years I had the great honour to be the voice in parliament for my home town.”

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