Peterborough's Charles Swift, a councillor for 62 years, dies
- Published
Charles Swift, who died after a short illness, was a "genuine gentleman", his family said
A former mayor of Peterborough, thought to be the longest-serving councillor in the country, has died at the age of 92.
Charles Swift OBE was first elected as Labour councillor for North Ward in Peterborough in 1954 at the age of 23 and was the youngest ever member of the city council.
He went on to be a councillor for 62 years, and also led the council.
His family said Mr Swift, who died after a short illness, was a "genuine gentleman".
His son Paul said: "Our family have been very honoured to have had such a great man in our lives and we shall miss him tremendously.
"Peterborough has lost such a genuine gentleman."
Mr Swift, who was appointed an OBE for services to the public in 1985, became the mayor of Peterborough at the age of 30.
He also led the council for almost 20 years.
Mr Swift was first elected as a city councillor for Peterborough in 1954
John Peach, another former mayor of the city, said you could not "sum up" what Mr Swift had done for the city as he had "been involved in everything over the years".
He said he was understood to have been the longest-serving councillor in the country.
Mr Swift oversaw huge changes to Peterborough in his time.
One of things he was most famous for was welcoming Ugandan refugees to the city.
In 1972 he set aside 50 council houses in Peterborough to some of the Ugandan Asian families forced to flee their homes.
The gesture, however, proved to be controversial and Mr Swift and his family were subjected to backlash from some members of the community.
Fifty years on, there is a thriving Ugandan community in Peterborough.
In 1992, Mr Swift lost the Labour whip, partly because of his friendship with Conservative MP Brian Mawhinney, but he continued to serve North Ward as an independent.
Mr Swift, who was involved with the Salvation Army, stepped down as councillor in 2016, saying at the age of 86 it was time to call it a day.
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