I am very sorry to report that ex-Councillor Brendan Bird sadly died this morning following a long illness. He was extremely proud of and loved his family very much. My thoughts are with them.
The flags are flying at half-mast over Hammersmith & Fulham Town Hall to honour the positive contribution Brendan made to people's lives in our borough and across London.
I first met Brendan in the 1990s and came to know him as a social housing expert, a much-loved Labour councillor for Sands End between 1994 to 2006, a campaigner and a very kind and decent man.
After losing his seat in 2006, Brendan continued to work for his local community often phoning me to brief me on what was happening and what he thought I should do both as the borough’s leader of the opposition and later as leader of the council. His advice was always considered, insightful and wise.
In opposition, he fought against the Conservative run council to save Peterborough Primary School, their sell-off of the Castle Club Youth Centre and their closing of other Sands End youth facilities, and he successfully fought against their closure of Hurlingham and Chelsea Secondary School.
Brendan played a critical part in the Save Sands End Community Centre campaign in 2009 and in the Save Sulivan campaign in 2013 and 2014.
He was a governor of Holy Cross Primary School and an avid Fulham Football Club fan, table tennis player, and lover of R&B.
He ran as Labour's candidate for Sands End in the 2008 bi-election and in the 2010 and 2014 local government elections but sadly was not returned to office.
Brendan was passionate about Labour being electable and being in power and was a trusted member of the Executive Committee of the Chelsea & Fulham Labour Party contributing to our landslide local election victories in 2014 and 2018.
He was a Labour man as people used to say, but was friendly towards his political opponents, working across party lines to get things done for his community.
I’ll miss Brendan Bird. He was a good friend, I learnt a lot from him and came to admire him. He was always on the side of the angels something I know he'll be remembered for and which his family and friends are all so rightly proud of.
Brendan played a critical part in the Save Sands End Community Centre campaign in 2009 and in the Save Sulivan campaign in 2013 and 2014.
He was a governor of Holy Cross Primary School and an avid Fulham Football Club fan, table tennis player, and lover of R&B.
He ran as Labour's candidate for Sands End in the 2008 bi-election and in the 2010 and 2014 local government elections but sadly was not returned to office.
Brendan was passionate about Labour being electable and being in power and was a trusted member of the Executive Committee of the Chelsea & Fulham Labour Party contributing to our landslide local election victories in 2014 and 2018.
He was a Labour man as people used to say, but was friendly towards his political opponents, working across party lines to get things done for his community.
I’ll miss Brendan Bird. He was a good friend, I learnt a lot from him and came to admire him. He was always on the side of the angels something I know he'll be remembered for and which his family and friends are all so rightly proud of.
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