Tributes have been flooding in after a hugely-respected local politician sadly died.

Hitchin and Hertfordshire councillor Judi Billing passed away last week at the age of 71, her family announced last Thursday (November 24).

Long-serving Labour councillor Judi Billing, who represented Hitchin Bearton on North Herts Council for 42 years and Hitchin North at Hertfordshire County Council for nine, died surrounded by her family in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Nub News regional editor Layth Yousif was shocked and saddened to hear the news during a trip to Italy.

He said: "In a world peopled by political pygmies Judi was a true colossus - I will miss Judi and her wise counsel greatly.

"I had the privilege to know Judi for the entire time I've been a journalist and had complete and utter respect for her.

"Judi had such integrity, not just as a politician but as a person too. She cared about her community and the people that lived in it - and you can't say that about too many councillors these days.

"Whether it be her passion for safer, lower speed limits along residential roads in Hitchin and elsewhere through her successful campaigning for 'Twenty's Plenty' - or from her discretionary grants that helped so many local groups not only survive in such challenging times, but to thrive - the fact remained: Judi cared passionately about people and our community."

Judi's grandparents all had their roots in Eastern Europe, with her paternal ones from the Berlin area of Eastern Germany from which they became refugees, and her maternal grandparents in London from an earlier series of wars and pogroms - from Poland, in one case and Ukraine in the other.

In one of her last pieces for Nub News, only a matter of hours after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Judi wrote movingly about the prospect of war, amplified by her experiences and leavened by her innate empathy. [Read her final piece for Nub News here]

"In these tribal times it is so rare for a politician of any party to be admired, appreciated and valued by all - but that's what Judi inspired in people by her staunch principles and her steadfast honesty," added Layth.

"My thoughts go out to her wonderful family and all who knew her in Hitchin and beyond. She will be sadly missed in our community as much as in local politics. RIP Judi."

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Judi was a regular columnist for Nub News and would often meet Layth for a coffee and a catch-up in Market Place, not least when exchanging notes about cockapoo's with strong opinions, including her beloved Pedro.

Read some of Judi's articles below - and see Nub News this week for further tributes to the wonderful, remarkable, inspirational Judi Billing.

RIP to a much-loved and much-missed vital presence in our community.

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