Harrow councillor Christine Bednell, a calm and well-respected Conservative politician, died on 3rd December 2024. The council meeting, on 19 July 2018, awarded Honorary Freedom of the Borough (‘Freedom of Entry to the Borough’) to councillor Bednell.
Presentation of the Scroll was to mark the appreciation of the forty-seven years service by councillor Bednell to the London Borough of Harrow.
Since the creation of the London Borough of Harrow in 1964, no other councillor has given such long and diligent service. Those that the council previously conferred Honorary Freedom of the Borough upon included Horace Cutler (1977) and the late Sir Roger Bannister (2004).
Miss Bednell, a Conservative councillor for Stanmore (1986-2018), was first elected to the council in 1968 from the then Wealdstone North ward.
She was Harrow deputy mayor in 1985 and mayor in 1986 and served on various council committees including Cabinet and held the Portfolios for Children’s Services.
During her councillorship, Christine Bednell ceremonially unveiled Katie statue, a Harrow Town Centre icon, in May 1987.
Previous Harrow councillor Husain Akhtar, coordinator of the Harrow Monitoring Group who worked with Cllr Bednell at various levels since 1984, said “Christine was a pleasant, well-reasoned and friendly past colleague. Her wisdom and calm approach to even difficult socio-political issues was remarkable. Christine will be missed”.
Harrow Monitoring Group 