‘A brilliant ambassador for the city’ - tributes paid to stalwart Claire

Heartfelt tributes have been paid to a Labour councillor and former deputy leader of Sunderland City Council described by colleagues as a “stalwart”, “vigilant campaigner” and “brilliant ambassador for the city”.

- by Chris Binding

Claire Rowntree as deputy council leader (centre) at launch of SAIL project in Sunderland City Centre.

Claire Rowntree was first elected to the city council in May, 2018 in the Hetton ward and went on to serve as deputy council leader from May 2021 to May 2024.

At the time of her appointment to deputy leader, Cllr Rowntree was understood to be only the second woman to hold the role at the city council, following the example of Florence Anderson, who became the first woman to hold the position in 2008.

During her time as part of the city's ruling Labour cabinet, Cllr Rowntree was a portfolio holder for 'clean, green city' and was a champion for environmental issues and a voice for those in need.

The Labour and Cooperative councillor also played a pivotal role in a project to transform a former golf course in the Hetton area into a publicly-accessible greenspace, which exists today as Elemore Country Park.

At the most recent full meeting of Sunderland City Council on September 17, councillors approved Cllr Rowntree's “continued absence from meetings for a six-month period, due to her ill health”.

Earlier this month, Sunderland Labour announced that Cllr Rowntree had sadly passed away, leading to a huge number of tributes remembering her contributions as a city leader, ward councillor and community campaigner.

Sunderland Labour, in a tribute posted on social media earlier this month, described her as a “stalwart councillor for the people of Hetton ward and a brilliant ambassador for the city in her numerous council leadership roles”.

The statement said that Cllr Rowntree “had a real passion for politics, and as a socialist, an even greater passion for improving the lives of people from all walks of life and ensuring nobody was ever left behind”.