| Tributes are being paid to councillor Pat Karney (78) who has died serving the city for almost half a century. |
| Councillor Karney, who was receiving treatment for cancer and grateful for the excellent care he received at The Christie, has represented Harpurhey as a councillor since 1979 and has been one of the city’s most prominent politicians for much of that time.
A Book of Condolence for people wishing to pay their respects to Pat is now open in the Shakespeare Hall of Central Library. An online Book of Condolence is also available at Manchester City Council book of condolence. The Union Flag on Central Library will be flown at half mast today in tribute to the longest-serving sitting councillor on Manchester City Council. Closest to his heart was always Collyhurst/Harpurhey and north Manchester and enthusiastically advocating investment in, and celebration of, the area. For many years Pat has been known as a champion and spokesperson for the city’s popular Christmas Markets and festive events, as well as acting as city centre spokesperson. He was one of the pivotal figures in the regeneration of the city centre after it was devastated by the 1996 IRA bomb, Chairing the City Centre Committee established to oversee the rebirth. He has been a director of Cityco, the not-for-profit city centre management company, since 2000 and was also one of the directors of tourism body Marketing Manchester between 2002 and 2014. Manchester Day, the annual celebration of the city first held in 2010, was his brainchild and will be among his legacies. Pat was also proud of the role he had played in standing up for gay rights, especially in the 1980s when Manchester City Council fought against the discriminatory Clause 28 (of the Local Government Act 1988) introduced by the Thatcher government. The young Pat moved to Manchester at the age of nine from Dublin but remained proud of his Irish roots and was heavily involved with the city’s Irish community over the years, including with the Irish Festival. Council leader Garry Bridges said: “Pat was a giant of Manchester politics and one of the city’s most recognisable public figures for nearly 50 years. He was truly a one-off and someone whose loss the city will feel deeply. “Pat was Manchester through and through and he never lost his determination to champion the city or his astute political judgement. It is typical of his commitment that he was working on behalf of his constituents right until the end. “For us in the Council, we knew the Pat that everyone else knew but we also knew him as a friend – someone who was always there with sage advice. We will miss him personally as much as we miss him politically.” Council chief executive Tom Stannard said: “I will miss his wisdom, his generosity with time and his inimitable grasp of Manchester’s history as well as his forever optimism about its future. We will also treasure his leadership on equalities issues, which generations of public service leaders can learn so much from.” |
Tributes paid to ‘giant’ of Manchester politics, councillor Pat Karney
