TOUCHING tributes have been paid to a high-ranking county councillor who died recently.

Ian Stewart, aged 65, of Sandside near Milnthorpe, was remembered with a minute’s silence at the first full meeting of the county council since his death.

He was the deputy leader of Cumbria County Council and the cabinet member for finance, having first been elected in 2001. He also served on South Lakeland District Council, including a spell as chairman.

Paying tribute at the meeting in Kendal on Thursday was Cllr Peter Thornton, who succeeds Mr Stewart as leader of the Liberal Democrats on the council.

Cllr Thornton said he half expected Cllr Stewart to walk into the council chamber and say: “Get out of my chair!”.

Cllr Thornton said: “Ian was a strong voice for Arnside and Cumbria. He was a challenger of the powerful and a supporter of those who needed it.

“He was the grit in the oyster but that’s how you get the pearls. How often have many of us sheltered behind Ian as he stood up to say the things we wanted to say?

“His opening lines were quite famous. ‘Hello, I’m Ian Stewart, I have a long memory and I hold grudges!’ The first part was true but the second part wasn’t,” said Cllr Thornton (Lib Dem, Kendal Strickland and Fell).

Stewart Young, Labour leader of the council, praised his prodigious work rate and command of his brief.

Cllr Young said: “I came to know Ian and appreciate his passion and dedication for public service. His contribution to Cumbria was huge both at a local and national level and I know we often say this but he will be greatly missed.”

Conservative opposition leader James Airey said when he first met councillor Stewart he was “an absolute nightmare and a pain in the butt.”

“But we grew to like and respect each other. We would generally give each other the heads up on issues we were going to knock the hell out of each other on,” said Cllr Airey (Con, Ulverston West).

“We would have a quick wink and a smirk and then go for it gung-ho in the theatre of politics. We would thoroughly enjoy it and then have a laugh afterwards. He was a giant of local politics.”

Tributes were also paid to Cllr Duncan Fairbairn, who represented Thursby near Carlisle for the Conservatives, having first been elected in 1977.

Cllr Fairbairn, who served the area at parish, district and county level, died last month following a long battle with cancer.