We heard today that Michael Cowan, one of Nottingham’s councillors, died early this morning after being ill with cancer for some time.

He was a very important part of life on the city council and he will be sorely missed – even by those who didn’t like him very much.

Personally, I had a lot of respect for him.  No-one could doubt his commitment to making Nottingham City Council a better place.  But he sometimes chose to make the biggest waves to make the smallest changes, which led to him being unpopular with the Labour group. He never minced his words, and got hauled over the coals by the Standards Board as a consequence – searching there for his name returns several cases of him offending officers and fellow councillors by being outspoken.

In terms of him being unpopular, it didn’t help that he started his 40-year political career as a Labour councillor and crossed the floor to the Conservatives only relatively recently.  He had a stab at being elected when he was a Labour by-election candidate in the Ashfield seat.  Part of the rough-and-tumble of Full Council over the past years has been the Labour group contrasting his stance now with what his stance used to be when he was still with them.

My earliest memories of being elected five years ago are all coloured by Cllr Cowan.  It was he who had a stand-up row with the brand new Lord Mayor at my first ever council meeting – certainly a baptism of fire for the newest of us in the chamber, and uncomfortable watching for our guests who’d only come to see the Mayormaking!

Michael also had a detailed understanding of local government that comes with decades of experience, and there are very few remaining in the chamber with his level of knowledge.  Still fewer in the opposition groups who are prepared to speak out on some of the issues.  His life was politics, and you could rely on him to spot details that most would overlook.

The Council will certainly be a poorer place without him.