John Harris (Opinion, 27 April) reminisces about the 50th anniversary of the release of the Beatles’ Sgt Pepper album on 1 June 1967. On 11 May 1967, Lord Beecham, Sir Jeremy to his friends, was elected as a councillor for the Benwell ward, one of the poorest areas in the west end of Newcastle. He has the remarkable distinction of representing the same ward continuously for 50 years, despite serving as a shadow minister in the House of Lords. Jeremy was leader of the council for 17 years, chair of the Local Government Association, and an active solicitor in the city. He has always represented Labour mainstream values and has retained his belief in investing in public services while he has seen many parliamentarians move from the left to the right of politics. Jeremy’s steadfastness over the last 50 years represents the politics of hope of the 1960s and he is an example to all.
Tony Flynn
Former leader, Newcastle City Council
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