TRIBUTES have been paid to an “uncompromising” former councillor who served her constituency for 30 years.
Pat Hawkes has died at the age of 86.
She represented Brighton’s Hollingdean and Stanmer ward from 1981 to 2011, first on the former Brighton Borough Council and then on Brighton and Hove City Council.
She was part of the first Labour administration election in 1986 and chaired the environmental health committee.
Pat became mayor of Brighton in 1988 and later became chairwoman of the city's education committee, where she introduced the lottery system for school places.
Andy Winter, chief executive of Brighton Housing Trust (BHT) and Argus columnist, described Pat has “uncompromising”.
He said: “I was fortunate enough to see Pat at her best.
"It was at 5.30am in the cafeteria at the Hollingdean depot when she spoke to what was then a totally male environment as a hundred or more refuse collectors had their breakfast before heading off on their rounds.
“I thought she would be, at best, ignored or, more likely, heckled and shouted down. But within seconds she had them eating out of the palm of her hand.
“She knew many of them by name. She lived on the same estate as some. She spoke their language, more working class than almost all of our fellow councillors.
“If it had been me speaking, I would have been eaten alive.”
Pat was awarded an MBE in 2007 for her contribution to education and served as president for the National Union of Teachers in her long and varied career.
She was a teacher at a number of schools across the city and East Sussex before quitting the profession in 1997 to work as the lead councillor for education.
Her most controversial decision was to introduce new catchment areas and a lottery for some secondary school places in 2007.
After announcing her retirement, she remained convinced that the scheme was a success.
She said: “I knew it was right - parents now know where they stand.
“Although they do not always like the outcome there is much more equality across the city.”
In 2009, at the age of 72, Pat announced she would be stepping down as councillor for Hollingdean and Stanmer to spend more time travelling.
She died at her home in Normandy, France, where she had lived for some years.
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