My father, Colin George, who has died aged 77, devoted his life to helping others through the Citizens Advice Bureau, and later stood for parliament as a member of the Labour party and then the SDP.
He was born in Leigh-on-Sea to Frederick, a chauffeur, and Phyllis (nee Adams), a hairdresser, and after passing the 11-plus examination was educated at Westcliff high school for boys. However, the inequalities and divisiveness of the 11-plus irked him all his life, and later he moved his family to neighbouring Castle Point, where comprehensive education was in place. He remained a firm believer in the comprehensive system to the end.
After leaving school at 16, Colin began a career in advertising, but left that field in 1970 to help run Dixons, a family-run business in Southend. The shop in which he worked was sold less than three years later and in 1973 Colin became general secretary of the Southend Guild of Help and Citizens Advice Bureau. He soon realised that this was his calling, and remained there until his retirement in 2002. His work touched thousands of lives, helping many people in Southend and the surrounding area.
He had joined the Labour party in 1954 at the age of 17, becoming secretary of the Westborough ward in Southend in 1957. In 1960 he won the Westborough council seat and also became chairman of the council’s finance committee, aged only 23. Eventually, in 1980, he stood for parliament in the Southend East byelection, losing by 430 votes to Teddy Taylor. He stood again in the seat in 1983 as a member of the SDP, although once more unsuccessfully.
In addition to his work at the Citizens Advice Bureau and his political activities, Colin was active in many other aspects of the local community. He served as a magistrate for 30 years, worked on local electricity and gas consumer consultative committees, and was chairman of Estuary housing association. He was also a trustee of the Southend Hospital Charitable Foundation and served as its chairman for 15 years, helping to raise more than £3.5m for the foundation under his leadership. He attended Crowstone United Reformed Church in Westcliff-on-Sea from childhood through to his death.
Colin is survived by his wife, Pamela (nee Smith), whom he met at work in London during his advertising agency days, by their two children, Stephen and myself, and by three grandsons.
