Liberal Democrat former councillor Andrew De Freitas has died: he was truly a unique and special man who deserves a prominent place in our history. As his friends we have jointly written this tribute.

Based on outdated inaccurate perceptions, very few people expected that Grimsby and Cleethorpes would be bright blobs of gold on the UK map of local government control. Few people ever thought that the Leader of North East Lincolnshire Council might be a Liberal Democrat, that he would be of Caribbean descent, and that his tenure as Leader would see great achievements for the Borough.

It gets to the heart of who Andrew De Freitas was, of his modesty, that he achieved all of this and so much more besides and so few outside of his Borough and community really noticed. A successful councillor for his community, a determined campaigner against injustice, a determined public administrator who always wanted better services – and because of all of these things – Andrew was a calm influence on those around him, a engine for progress but also a good friend and true to his Town and to those who knew him.

Ian says:

My friend, Andrew De Freitas died on 28th July. He had been living with dementia for several years. I had known him all my life, I went to school with his children. He was born in Guyana and in 1962, as a British citizen, he arrived at Tilbury to be met with an anti-immigration demonstration. He work for a firm that relocated to Grimsby and stayed there for the rest of his life. He married and had six children.

In 1969 aged 24 he was elected to the then Grimsby County Borough Council. The councillors at the time refused to allow him to sit on any committees so he turned up and was thrown out of every meeting until they relented. It was that determinism that, with a short time working in the middle east, had him represent the people of Grimsby for 50 years, spanning all authorities in the 20thcentury (County Borough, Borough, County Council and Unitary Authority) As well as Police and Fire Authorities.

Andrew thrived in the environment in which he found himself – he arrived in Britain aged just 17. He had already become active in politics in his home country but when matters took a violent turn for the worse, and some of his friends and associates were killed, Andrew chose to leave and move to London.

The UK became Andrew’s home, but he never forgot his home roots and for many years sent all his spare money back to Guyana to fund his younger brothers education in psychology.

Ian continues:

Although short in stature he was a giant in the local party and in local politics. His affable character, steely determinism, enthusiasm and sheer hard work won over many people. His presence and booming voice could dominate any room he was in and he won friends on all sides of the political spectrum. Canvassing with him was a nightmare, so many people knew him personally that he was invited into every fifth house and after a while you wondered if he was lost somewhere.

Andrew was elected to Great Grimsby Council at the age of 24, winning a seat in the then Humber Ward.

Standing on a pledge to improve the sub-standard housing stock in the neighbourhood, he took two weeks’ holiday to knock on every door in the ward. This remained the staple of his approach to politics – if you speak to people about their concerns they will, in turn, trust you with their vote and support.

He was an Elected Member of Great Grimsby Borough Council until it was replaced by North East Lincolnshire Council, with only a four-year break while he worked in the Middle East. On his return to Grimsby in 1981, he was elected to a seat in the Central Ward – later to become the Park Ward, which he represented until his retirement.

Almost unbelievably, Andrew and his team did manage to take the council for the LibDems. And he was council leader and then in coalition with the Conservative was leader/deputy leader in rotation.

It was his period of time as Leader of the Council when Andrew was at the pinnacle of his ambition to improve the community in which he lived and worked. Speaking at a Conference for the Local Government Association Andrew said:

This is my home, it’s where I have my home, the least we can do as politicians is ensure that people have homes that are dry, with no damp and good heating and insulation. Is that so much to ask?

At a meeting at the Office of Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott MP, Andrew was asked his views on the payment of reparations for BME communities. He asked in reply “reparations for the errors of the past or the errors you are continuing to make today?”

“It was one of the greatest honours of my life to serve with him as fellow ward councillor and to be able to nominate him for freedom of the borough,” says Ian, “He was deputy Mayor but was unable to become Mayor due to illness. Andrew was personally badly affected by the Brexit result. In Grimsby it was accompanied by a tide of resentment, hate, and in some cases outright racism, which shocked both of us.”

It is very fair to say that few in the Liberal Democrats knew of Andrew De Freitas, few realised that we had a pioneering Leader, that Andrew with an Afro Caribbean heritage had such depth of character, and indeed few will list Andrew when citing role models and examples of our community politics. But Andrew was not in politics for the high life or for praise and honours, he regarded it as just solid public service. He fought long and lonely battles to get improvements for his Borough Council and for Grimsby and Cleethorpes and he never gave up.

To those who write histories and accounts, to those who want to understand the importance of community politics as a philosophy and of liberalism in action, look to the work and record of Andrew De Freitas

Successful, sustained, selfless and often quietly modest. But when you think of the town he arrived in, the Borough he led and those communities and their care that he bequests on to councillors of the future – we are all the better and healthier for the work of Andrew De Freitas. A loving man, a genuine man, a passionate advocate, a liberal who fought for equality ad who expected fairness in how everyone is treated by the state, and most significant for us, Andrew was the Liberal Democrat who led his Borough with pride and with distinction. We had the honour and joy of knowing him and for that we will always be grateful.

He leaves a legacy that will never be emulated. We would wish that he rests in peace but the man was never at rest, always keen to do more.

One last note from Ian:

I have now moved from Grimsby but felt I had to contact the Chief Exec of North East Lincolnshire Council, to let him know of one wish. Andrew said: “After I’m gone Ian, don’t let them name anything after me, I don’t want it, not even a bloody bench.

Rest well our friend, rest well.

* Ed worked with Andrew at the Local Government Association and Ian was a councillor with Andrew on NE Lincs Council.