Northumberland County Council bestows honorary titles for 'significant and valuable services' to the county

At Wednesday’s meeting of Northumberland County Council it was proposed that the title of honorary freeman/freewoman was conferred on Tony Gates, Winton Keenen and Elizabeth Morgan.

According to the council, the Freedom itself carries no privilege and is purely an honour that reflects “the eminence of the person on whom it is conferred or as recognition of significant and valuable services rendered to the county by that person.”

Mr Gates is the chief executive of Northumberland National Park, while Mr Keenen is the outgoing Chief Constable of Northumbria Police. Ms Morgan is the council’s former director of public health, and was given the honour for services to public health, particularly during the pandemic.

Speaking at the meeting, council leader Glen Sanderson said: “These are three outstanding individuals who have given great service, and continue to do so, to the county.”

The motion was supported by a majority of councillors. However, independent councillor Georgina Hill, who represents the Berwick East ward, abstained.

She explained: “I do not know any of the individuals apart from Liz Morgan, and I agree she was outstanding and I hope someone nominates her for a national honour.

“However, if you took a random sample of a thousand people in Northumberland and you said what do you think about the council spending time making people freemen and freewomen, I think a thousand people would say why is the council spending time on this in a cost of living crisis?

“I don’t know why people are so obsessed with this. I think it is a waste of time and I will be abstaining.”

But Labour leader Scott Dickinson backed his opposite number’s proposals.

He said: “I totally disagree with Councillor Hill. There were lots more people on that pile, a lot of really outstanding people who did not get the honour of freeman of Northumberland, which is special.

“It rewards people for their jobs, their roles, their commitment and for their contribution to Northumberland and most of these people have gone over and beyond what they had to do in a job and given something back to Northumberland that was far larger.”