One of Newcastle’s greatest leaders in the modern era, Lord Beecham, died on Thursday aged 81.
Lord Beecham, who was Jewish and served on the board of the New Israel Fund in the UK, led Newcastle City Council for 17 years – the local authority’s longest-serving head.
Karen Kilgour, the current head of the Labour-led authority, described him as a man who “literally changed the face of Newcastle and helped make it the great city it is today".
Kilgour said Beecham was "one of the most influential politicians of the last 50 years".
"A kind, hard-working man with a wonderful sense of humour, he was respected across the political divide," she said.
Having played a "huge role in the Labour Party at a national level", Kilgour said it was probably at a local level where he would "most fondly be remembered".
He was first elected as a Labour councillor for the Benwell area of the city in May 1967, aged 22, and remained on the local authority for 55 years, serving as leader from 1977 until 1994.
He was knighted in 1994, appointed to the House of Lords in 2010 and went on to hold shadow ministerial roles.
He died on Thursday having been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, according to Local Democracy Reporting Service.
Former secretary of the Association of Metropolitan Authorities Sir Rodney Brooke told the Local Government Chronicle that Lord Beecham was an “outstanding figure in local government for more than a decade”.
Sir Rodney added that he was a “man of great intellect, he was committed to his constituents in Benwell as well as to local government as a whole.”
Current Local Government Association chair Louise Gittins said the body was “deeply saddened to hear” of his passing and “his legacy will continue to guide and inspire future generations in local government”.
She said: “He played a pivotal role in shaping the voice of local authorities and his leadership, vision, and unwavering commitment to public service leaves an enduring mark on local government across the country.
“The thoughts of all of us in local government are with his family, friends, and all those who had the privilege of working alongside him.”
Born in 1944, Lord Beecham went to Newcastle's Royal Grammar School and University College, Oxford, where he obtained a first-class honours degree in law. He went on to become a solicitor.
He became the chair of the Association of Metropolitan Authorities in 1991 and led the foundation of the Local Government Association in 1997, also serving as its first chairman.
Sir Keir Starmer described him as a "giant of the Labour movement" after his retirement from politics.
Lord Beecham's children, Richard and Sara, told the BBC he was the "very best of fathers".
"Dad loved this city, in particular his ward of Benwell and Scotswood, and he dedicated his life to improving the lives of others here," they said.
"His dedication to public service was remarkable.
"You only had to walk through the city with him to see what affection so many people had for him. At St James' Park we were regularly greeted with fond shouts of 'y'alreet Jeremy', which he loved."
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