Rayleigh and Wickford MP Mark Francois has paid a tribute to Councillor Chris Black, the 59 year old Liberal Democrat Councillor for the Downhall and Rawreth ward, who sadly passed away recently after suffering a sudden heart attack.
Chris Black was the longest serving councillor on Rochford District Council, having first been elected back in 1984. He was also the leader of the Liberal Democrat group on the Council from 1993-1995 and then from 2002-2017.
In paying tribute, Mark Francois said:
“Not only was Chris Black the longest serving Councillor on Rochford District Council, he was also one of the most respected. Although he was in a different party from me, as the local MP I always had a very high regard for Chris because of his strenuous efforts on behalf of the people he represented. He was also very knowledgeable and brought his experience to bear for the benefit of the whole Council. In my 16 years as the local MP, whilst we sometimes disagreed on politics, I don’t think we ever had a seriously crossed word about anything and Chris was well known for making a positive contribution on issues of all kinds. My sympathies are with his widow Elena and their son and I can honestly say that Chris will be greatly missed.”