A tribute to former Leyton Councillor Jenny Sullivan

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of former Waltham Forest Councillor and Leyton Liberal Democrats Chair, Jennifer Sullivan.

Jenny was a much loved local activist, who was known for her care, compassion, and strong appetite for public service. She supported hundreds of local residents fighting to overcome a myriad of issues, from better housing to safer streets during the five decades she was politically active.

Jenny first came to prominence by helping her husband Bob to his historic Liberal win in the 1981 Leyton Ward by-election. The pair were instrumental in forging a strong local Liberal Democrat team that steadily grew its presence on Waltham Forest Council, climaxing with their brilliant 2006 Local Elections performance, winning 19 seats to become the borough’s second largest political party.

Jenny also stood for council back in 1990, where she and her fellow candidates gained a respectable 14.6% of the vote in a ward they did not expect to win. She did even better four years later, managing to leapfrog the Conservative candidate, but it was in the 2002 Local Elections that her dedication and hard work finally paid off when she won in Grove Green.

This was a ward where Labour had held all three council seats since its creation in 1978. Yet Jenny was able to break the mould in 2002 by beating two of the Labour candidates into a superb second place, just 64 votes shy of topping the poll.

Jenny was not only a committed local campaigner, but an exemplary party activist, who encouraged everyone around her. Many party members fondly remember popping round to ‘Jenny and Bob's’ for tea and biscuits during campaigns, their house being a hub of activity and a welcoming space where ideas would readily flow. She will be very much missed.

All of us at the Waltham Forest Liberal Democrats send our deepest condolences to Bob Sullivan, and all of Jenny's family and friends.