MORRIS Barton, the politician who dubbed himself a 'Reasonable Revolutionary’, who brought colour and controversy to council chamber in equal measure has died. He was 75.
Cllr Barton, of Rosetta Drive, East Cowes, had in his latter years taken a step back from the intense political activity that dominated much of his life.
He was still a member of East Cowes Town Council, vice-president of the IW Liberal Association and a regular County Press correspondent.
In increasing ill-health in recent times, he had, in semi-retirement, been a business consultant.
His family, including wife, Marcia, were at his bedside at home when he died.
Immensely proud of his Island family roots, Cllr Barton was born and educated on the Island, surviving the diphtheria that nearly killed him as a six year old.
He went to Priory Boys’ School, left with no qualifications and joined the County Press as a 15-year-old apprentice compositor.
For more than half of his near 40 years’ CP service, he was head reader and his attention to proof detail was legendary.
He lived a double life, juggling work with increasing involvement in politics, his many hours at County Hall, sanctioned by the newspaper’s board.
In 1976, he left the Labour Party after 15 years to join the Liberals but he never forgot his political roots, or the value of trade unions, serving at chapel level for 32 years’ in the Graphical Paper and Media Union.
Nineteen years later, he formed an unlikely alliance with the then Tory MP Barry Field in a battle against further education cutbacks.
Cllr Barton’s verbal duels with opponents were well remembered, none more so than those with long-time Tory opposition leader, the late Roy Westmore.
Each of the multi-generation Islanders held the other in deep respect.
More acrimonious was the relationship with the then Lib Dem, MP Dr Peter Brand, who, in 1997, called on Cllr Barton to resign over his "dictatorial" leadership.
Cllr Barton had wanted a referendum on UDI and a fixed link for the Island. He also wanted Princess Anne as governor.
But he weathered that political storm, as he did many others, but never got to try his political hand at Westminster.
He was leader of the Lib Dem-controlled county council from 1984 to 1999, the longest-serving leader in the country.
A former Newport Borough Council chairman, Cllr Barton was elected to that council at the age of just 27.
He later discovered two of his ancestors had been mayors of the borough.
He became a county councillor in 1973 and served on a legion of committees and organisations.
He was a founder member of IW Shelter, a founder and trustee of the Stephen Ross Foundation (Quay Arts), a trustee and director of Newport FC and was a leading member of many more organisations.
His considerable political achievements were recognised in the 1995 New Year Honours list, when he received the OBE. He said it was "nice to see the peasants coming through and getting something."
Three months later, he successfully piloted through creation of the unitary authority, linking the county, Medina and South Wight councils.
In 1999, he stunned political colleagues when he announced his decision to stand down at the May election, telling them his recent diabetes diagnosis was a major part of the decision.
It was said he had arguably been one of the most powerful and influential figures in Island local government in the 20th century, an assertion supported by no less than John Horsnell, the chief executive of the council, who served alongside him.
Cllr Barton leaves his wife, Marcia, daughters, Lynette and Maria, seven grandchildren and one great grandchild.
A funeral service will be held on Friday, February 10, at 10am at St James’s Church, East Cowes.