Jean Searle

JEAN Searle, one of the leading voluntary members of the Conservative Party, has died aged 67.

She was one of the most authoritative women in the party, noted for her organisational skills, and rose to the highest positions available to a voluntary member by election, both in Yorkshire and nationally. She regarded the pinnacle of her career as her two years as area chairman but her priority was always to be mindful of the needs of others.

It was as chairman of the National Convention when chairing the Party Conference in 2001 that her leadership skills were tested.

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It was only days after the 9/11 terrorist attack in the United States and it was thought the conference may have to be postponed but Mrs Searle calmly saw that it went ahead.

She was born in Plymouth, and was steeped in public service as her mother was a GP and her father a city architect.

From school she went to Leicester Domestic Science College where she gained a Diploma in Institutional Management and Domestic Science. She worked for Gardner Merchant, in York, and for a time was in charge of catering at Fylingdales Early Warning Station, on the North York Moors.

Her political life began when she joined a local group in Cookridge, Leeds, where she lived.

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That led to her standing for and being elected to Leeds City Council where she represented the Headingley ward for five years, specialising in housing and social services.

Her first speech at a party conference was in 1989 and she ended it with the words: "Housing benefit needs reform". She would have been very pleased to have heard Chancellor George Osborne use those same words in his recent Budget speech.

She was chairman of the Candidates' Committee at the time when there were no A Lists – of which she despaired – but there was a rigorous selection process. She had a firm principle that Conservative candidates had to have calibre. Once when asked to define it she replied: "You know it when you see it".

She wanted women to win, but on their own account.

She served on the party's board after William Hague's reforms, having been elected by the party after stressing her organisational experience.

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A former area women's chairman, she was a life president of the Party's Women's Organisation.

She was also political adviser and constituency organiser for Edward McMillan-Scott, MEP for Yorkshire and Humber.

In 2006 she became an area fund-raiser for the Conservative Party in the North East and every year she exceeded the target.

She was President of Relate in Leeds, which she supported for 40 years. Her last act for it was to secure an extra 10,000 funding from the city council recently.

She was also a former member of the Leeds health board.

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She helped the former Soviet bloc countries of Bulgaria and the then Czechoslovakia in their transition to democracy.

In 1993 she was diagnosed with leukemia but continued her work for the party until recently.

On the Order of Service at her funeral she summed up her own life with the words: "Remember our happy times. I have had a wonderfully full, happy life".

She is survived by her husband Mike, their son Ian, daughter Helen, three grandsons and a granddaughter.