We Miss You, Patsy

9.12.09am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 6th Jun 2005

Patsy Calton's death has come as a severe blow not only to those of us with first hand experience of her tireless work for her own Bramhall community and for Cheadle constituency, but also to the many friends she had made in Parliament in the four brief years she served there. She was rightly acknowledged in Westminster as a single minded, persistent, and very effective MP. Her untimely loss so soon after her triumphant re-election with a hugely increased majority cut short what would certainly have been a larger contribution in the House in years to come.

Here in Bramhall and Hazel Grove her loss will be felt most keenly. As her next-door neighbour in Parliament, and as a friend and colleague of hers for more than 15 years here in Stockport I mourn the loss of her talent and drive, and know very well the esteem in which she was held locally - even by opponents.

Patsy first got engaged in local community issues as a Bramhall mother with three children. One thing led to another, and she was asked to stand for Stockport Council. She stood in her home area, and with characteristic hard work, she stunned everyone by winning traditionally blue West Bramhall in 1994.

She soon made her mark at the Town Hall, serving as Chair of Social Services, with two stints as Deputy Leader. She was always robust and effective, well briefed, and articulate. In the same period she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and had a double mastectomy. Patsy's response was emphatic - a full recovery, and charity runs in two London Marathons to prove it. She demonstrated that no disease, not even cancer, should disqualify anyone from public office, and many of us saw her narrow general election victory in 2001 as triumphant vindication of that.

In the House of Commons her tenacity on behalf of local residents was soon apparent to a succession of harassed ministers. The missing A555 road link, children's mental health services, contaminated land and the Adswood tip, fair funding for Stockport schools, and the future of BAe at Woodford were amongst their unplanned bedtime reading as they mugged up for the debates she called.

Patsy was a very effective Liberal Democrat spokesperson on Health at Westminster, with canny questions her forte, most poignantly quizzing the Prime Minister on revelations about delays nationally in cancer diagnosis, and most effective when she squeezed an extra million pounds out of the Department of Health for Stepping Hill Hospital when she spotted a crucial mistake in their funding rules.

As readers know, Patsy was stuck at home during the recent election after further treatment, as ever full of ideas on the conduct of her campaign, and eager to be out and about. Sadly her election night triumph was not to be followed by another recovery and yet one more London Marathon. Our thoughts go out to Clive and the family at their loss, and we remember Patsy and her commitment to serve her local community with deep affection. Patsy, we miss you.

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