Tributes to former Leighton-Linslade Town Council leader who led through Covid pandemic
Tributes have been paid to former Leighton-Linslade Town Council leader Steve Jones.
Steve led the town council through what the authority called ‘a turbulent term’ from 2019 to 2023, which included the coronavirus pandemic and the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Steve, who also served as town mayor in 1993-1994, chaired the council’s policy and finance committee during his term as council leader.
Town clerk Mark Saccoccio told the LBO: “Steve was a sound guy, who was very committed to the town and the council.
“His leadership was a very challenging time for the authority, but he was instrumental in getting the Leighton Linslade Helpers off the ground.”
The Leighton Linslade Helpers are a volunteer group that formed in March 2020 to support the community through the Covid pandemic.
Steve worked in the ambulance service as a paramedic and Mark said: “His role had a high level of responsibility; he was very experienced dealing with major incidents, and that really helped steer our taskforce in the right direction.”
Independent councillor for the Barnabas ward on the town council Mark Freeman told the LBO: “I have known Steve and his wife Julie since before they moved to Leighton Buzzard in 1984 - they bought their first home in the town from me when I moved from Regent Street to Linslade!
"I remember when he came to view my house and I had a Lib Dem rosette on the door, Steve said ‘that will have to go!’
"I didn’t think any more of that until his name then appeared on the paper as a Conservative candidate!
"When Steve emerged politically a few years later, we were in different teams – but that didn’t stop us being friends.
"When Steve became leader of the town council in 2019 we forged a good working relationship and had many conversations about the direction of the council.”
Steve lost his seat at the council elections in 2023 and was diagnosed with esophageal cancer soon after.
Mark said: “He was very ill with that, and wasn’t well enough to attend the Remembrance Service last year.
"I saw him at the Mayor’s Civic Service earlier this year, and then the last time I saw him was in March when we had a get-together after the closure of the music centre.”
Away from work, Steve enjoyed music and was a key member of the music centre’s folk group, and was also passionate about his animals.
"He loved horses and rode them a lot, and the last time I saw him he had just managed to sit on a horse for the first time for a while,” Mark added.
"He was always a cheerful guy, even when things were difficult and will be missed by those who had worked with him over the years.”
Town councillor Pat Carberry, who represents the Green Party, told the LBO: “I was shocked and very sad to hear of the news of Steve’s death, he was still a young man and was not able to fully enjoy his retirement.
"I was the leader of the Labour group when Steve led the town council.
"Political opinion never formed a barrier to discussions with Steve.
"If he had an idea that he wanted to progress, we would have a discussion early on about what we wanted to achieve.
"He would ask my thoughts, and we would have a dialogue about it.
"He was a joy and a pleasure to work with and was very dedicated to the community.”
The town council is flying its flag at half-mast today (Monday) as a mark of respect.