A very sad weekend 9 November, 2007
At the stoke of midnight this Wednesday the leader of the opposition in Hackney Eric Ollerenshaw OBE resigned. Eric is fighting the marginal seat of Lancaster and Fleetwood in the North West. As ever Eric put the country the people and the party first, as he could very well have done what most other politicians do, stay on till the next election.
Especially considering there is no one in Hackney and few in the party that is as competent as him, Hackney has lost is best statesman (ironically since its last one also a Conservative “Tory Joe” lobenstien) and dare I say will not replace for years to come.
Not only was he liked and respected be friend and foe alike he was also my Mentor and man I leaned most of what I know about politics from and a master tactician.
Ever since I first met him at a husting to select our candidate for Mayor of London in 1999 he impression was instant and his passion oozed from the man and this in a decade which you could say was not his best.
I do not wish to write and obituary yet because arguably his best days are before him, and he would not want or like him, just to say a few things of what he did;
· 1987 Parliamentary candidate Manchester
· 1988-1990 Conservative leader ILEA
· 1990-2007 Councillor/Leader of the opposition Hackney
· 2000-2004 Member and Conservative Leader of the GLA.
The final chapters have yet to be written, but I know they will be full and glorious, Eric is the best Cabinet Minister we have not had YET!!!
Best of luck Lancaster we are all rooting for you.
Update
- Eric also stood for Heywood and middleton 1992.
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