Claire Brooks

Kathleen Claire Brooks OBE
Kathleen Claire Brooks OBE
Born	1931
Died	13 March 2008
Occupation(s)	Lawyer, Politician

Kathleen Claire Brooks

radical tradition

.

Personal life

Claire Brooks was born at The Folly in

University College, London, where she was vice-president of the students' union.^[1]

She married an American citizen, Herbert Brooks, and lived for a short while in the United States. After she divorced and returned to the UK, she set up her legal practice and engaged seriously in party politics. Brooks gained a reputation as a larger-than-life, plain speaking personality both within the Liberal Party and through TV and personal appearances outside. She was never afraid to speak her mind on political platforms and regularly challenged both the party leadership and those in the party such as the Young Liberals or Liberal Students with whom she often held views in common.

OBE

for service to political and public life.

Political career

Politically, Brooks was hailed as a person who kept Liberalism alive in the party's dark days of the 1950s.

Alliance^[5] and later with the merger of the Liberal party with the Social Democratic Party.^[6]

However electoral success was to come Brooks' way at local government level. In 1976 she was elected to

Craven District Council representing Skipton Central ward. She held this seat for 23 years during which she served as Liberal group leader, chairman of the Council and Mayor of Skipton

. Throughout the whole time she continued to run her solicitor's practice in the town.

In addition to her politics, Brooks was passionate about her Scottish family roots and was a founder member of the Clan Graham.

References

^ ^a ^b "Clair Brooks OBE". Yorkshire and the Humber Liberal Democrats. 16 March 2008. Archived from the original on 7 October 2008. Retrieved 15 May 2008.
^ The Times, 20 September 1958
^ ^a ^b Letter to Liberal Democrat News, 4 April 2008
^ Obituary by (Lord)Tony Greaves in Liberal Democrat News, 21 March 2008
^ The Times, 17 September 1981
^ Merger: The Inside Story by Rachael Pitchford & Tony Greaves, (Liberal Renewal, 1989 p.140

[Y&H-1] "Clair Brooks OBE". Yorkshire and the Humber Liberal Democrats. 16 March 2008. Archived from the original on 7 October 2008. Retrieved 15 May 2008.

[2] The Times, 20 September 1958

[ReferenceA-3] Letter to Liberal Democrat News, 4 April 2008

[4] Obituary by (Lord)Tony Greaves in Liberal Democrat News, 21 March 2008

[5] The Times, 17 September 1981

[6] Merger: The Inside Story by Rachael Pitchford & Tony Greaves, (Liberal Renewal, 1989 p.140

[1]

[5]

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