Prominent politicians in our area have been paying tribute to a legendary Hitchin councillor who sadly died last week.

The hugely-respected Judi Billing died on Thursday (November 24) at the age of 71.

Councillor Billing had 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.

Baroness Taylor said: "I am heartbroken to learn that my great inspiration, mentor and friend Judi Billing, leader of our county Labour Group and a towering figure of Labour local government, has passed away.

"My thoughts and prayers are with her children, grandchildren and great grandchild all of whom she was rightly inordinately proud.

"Judi inspired so many of us as councillors and her work on local government improvement across the country meant she touched (and made better) the way we serve our communities.

"She will be missed as a local councillor in Hitchin, at the county council where she led our group with flair and power greater than our numbers would suggest and across the Labour local government family."

The highly-respected Judi had served as county councillor for Hitchin North since 2013 and was the Labour Group Leader at County Hall. 

She was also the spokesperson for Education, Public Health & Community Safety, sitting on the Employment committee as well as the Impact of Scrutiny Advisory committee.

She chaired the BAME Health Inequalities Topic Group and Reducing Inequalities in Maternity Scrutiny Topic Groups.

Cllr Ruth Brown, Deputy Leader of North Herts Council and Liberal Democrat Group Leader, said: "I am so shocked and saddened to hear of Judi's untimely and sudden death. As part of the joint administration, I worked as Judi's deputy for community engagement for about two and a half years.

"I thoroughly enjoyed working so closely with her and learning from her wealth of experience. Just last week, she attended the council's youth democracy event, which she reinstated in 2019.

"It was such a wonderful event and testament to her passion and dedication to democracy and commitment to encouraging young people to get involved.

"She served the residents of Hitchin with tireless devotion over many decades as a district and county councillor and she will be sorely missed."

Judi contributed to Labour Local Government regionally and nationally through a number of roles at the Local Government Association and the Association of Labour Councillors. She was also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a Freeman of the City of London.

Judi became a North Herts District Councillor in her 20s, and was the serving Executive Member for Community Engagement, Chair of Standards Committee and Joint Chair of Cabinet Panel on Community and Enterprise.

A Local Government Association Labour Group spokesperson added: "All of us at LGA Labour are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Judi Billing. Judi's very many years service to local government and the Labour Party have been outstanding.

"Judi will be sorely missed by so many of us. Our thoughts are with her family and her many friends."

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Herts County Council members pay tribute to the late Judi Billing