Originally posted @ 10:59 pm, Mon 17th Jan 2011
Dennis Pettitt, Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council from 1981 to 1998 has died.
Dennis did many things as Leader, including taking bold action to defend local services in the face of Thatcher cuts in grant to local government.
But he had a wide range of notable achievements in life.
He was part of the first wave on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day (he was injured later that day and left for the Germans to take prisoner, only for a couple of his mates to fetch him in the middle of the night).
He was a member of the first multi-racial political party in Africa and lost his job because of his political convictions.
He had also served as a Birmingham City Councillor and campaigned there in a pioneering way for disabled children.
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By the time I joined Dennis at Notts County Council in 1993, much of the radical scope to local government had been taken away by the Conservatives. Still, good things were happening, like the restoration of Mansfield to the passenger rail network. Notts did do some pioneering stuff, but would do it in a way that meant it was implemented rather than notorious and challenged in law.
he loved quotes and in debates, he often found space to use some of his favourite sayings. When seeking to lift a debate, he'd often cite Aneurin Bevin's "the language of priorities is the religion of socialism". When seeking to defend himself and the party "the more you tell lies about me, the more I willl tell the truth about you".
He loved stories, partly cos he had so many to tell. The sense of history and convictions acquired through struggle meant Dennis would often talk about issues in big ways, drawing upon values to explain a case rather than just claiming to be a cleverer administrator.
His son Robert has written - my Dad "was leader of Nottinghamshire Council for 20 years, most of them through the darkest years of Thatcher and he steered the Labour Group through the difficult times of the miners' strike in Nottinghamshire. He served the Party at literally all levels and was an active Trades Unionist as well in what was then ASTMS. He was particularly honoured to have been knighted in the first New Year's list after the election of a Labour Government in 1997."
The text below is largely taken from a Broxtowe Borough Council, on which he also served.
Dennis Pettitt was born in Birmingham in 1925. His father was the Branch Secretary of the Post Office Workers' Union and his mother worked as a cleaner to help support the family.
During World War II Dennis served in The Royal Warwickshire Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division and took part in the D-day Normandy landings. After military service in Europe he returned to his native Birmingham and worked as an electrician, becoming an active trade unionist and member of the Labour Party.
Dennis's wife, Dorothy, had moved from Africa to Birmingham and the couple met and married in 1949.
He emigrated with Dorothy to Kenya in 1950 and spent ten years in Africa where he was active in the struggle for independence as Vice Chairman of the Kenya League, the first multi-racial political organisation in Africa. His stance lost him his job and he was branded a communist and kept under 24 hour surveillance by the Kenya police.
During his time in Africa the family grew when daughters Lynda and Jocelyn were born. Lynda was born with spina bifida, and in order to ensure the best treatment for her, the family returned to the UK.
The family again expanded with the birth of sons Robert and Nicholas. Sadly, Lynda died in 1973 and it was because of this that Dennis began a lifelong crusade on behalf of all children with disabilities. (As of 8 years ago) Dennis and Dorothy had four grandchildren.
On their return to Birmingham in 1960, Dennis was elected onto Birmingham City Council from 1962-68 and led a campaign from the backbenches for better facilities for disabled children. His one-man crusade led to the city boasting over 8 centres for people with disabilities by the 1990s. A lasting tribute to Lynda and her father.
He was elected as President of Birmingham Borough Labour Party and was one of the first committed pro-Europeans in the Labour movement, a stance that was to count against him for selection for Parliamentary seats in the 1960s and 1970s.
The family moved to Nottinghamshire in 1968 and in 1973 Dennis was elected to the then Broxtowe District Council following the reorganisation of local government. He became the Leader of the Labour Group, a position he was to hold for many years.
In 1977 Dennis was elected onto Nottinghamshire County Council representing Eastwood and Brinsley, becoming Labour Group Leader in 1979. When the Labour Party returned to power in May 1981 Dennis became Leader of the Council, a position he held until he retired in 2001 and is also an Honorary Alderman of Nottinghamshire County Council.
Under his leadership, Nottinghamshire County Council was recognised as being in the front rank of the European local authorities with outstanding achievements in services, governance, and its international outlook.
In 1998 Councillor Dennis Pettitt, Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, was knighted in The Queen's New Year Honours List for services to Local Government and the community.
Sir Dennis has over thirty years experience in local government having twice been the Chair of the Association of County Councils and he was a UK member of the EU Committee of the Regions from 1993, Chair of the Consortium of Local Government at Warwick University and served on the Executive of the United Towns Organisation. He (was awarded) the Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit, awarded by the President of Poland in 1993 and is an Honorary Citizen of Poznan.
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Sir Dennis (interests included) reading political biographies and the French language and cricket, being a fully qualified umpire. Dennis and Dorothy also enjoy travelling whenever they can.
Dennis Pettitt has been a soldier, campaigner, pioneer of African democracy, a politician and a family man. He has served with determination the people of all the communities in which he has lived. ...
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Dennis died on 16th January at The City Hospital, Nottingham.
The funeral arrangements are :
Friday 4th February at 4.15pm at Bramcote Crematorium, Coventry Lane, Bramcote NG9 3GJ; directions can be found here: http://www.bramcotecrematorium.org.uk/location.asp
The family would please ask not to send flowers but if you wish to mark the occasion please consider a donation to Mencap.
His son Robert says “This will be a celebration of a very full life. Please do not feel compelled to wear black, I will probably have on his old County Council tie. Please also join us afterwards, the details will be finalised shortly but in all probability this will be at a venue in Eastwood.”
A tribute has been paid by the Nottingham Post -
Post Comment: Sir Dennis was a brave politician
and the newspaper has collated other tributes too -
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