Stirling Council Leader Margaret Brisley Passes Away at 79

Following a brief illness, Stirling Council leader Margaret Brisley has passed away at the age of 79, prompting numerous tributes. Ms. Brisley, a representative for the Bannockburn and Eastern Villages Ward, died on Sunday. She had been a Labour councillor for 44 years before assuming the role of council leader in September. Her tenure as council leader was preceded by her service as deputy leader starting in 2022, and she had also previously held the position of Provost. Gerry McGarvey, the current deputy leader of the local authority and a Labour councillor, initiated the expressions of respect that came from various political affiliations. He stated: “Margaret was returned as a councillor at each of the 11 elections she stood in, which is testament to the dedication and hard work she undertook on behalf of her constituents.“Her calming and professional presence will be missed at Stirling Council and I am both sad at her passing, and also that I will not have more opportunity to learn from her.”” Neil Benny, who leads the Conservative group at Stirling Council, characterized Ms. Brisley as “a force of nature.” He commented: “It is hard to imagine a Stirling Council without her.“She represented a tradition of local politics which put the people of Stirling first and transcended the narrow party politics we have grown used to these days.”When we disagreed the arguments were forthright and tenacious, but without rancour or malice and the decisions we came to were all the better for the debate.”” Scott Farmer, the SNP group leader for the council, referred to Ms. Brisley as “a formidable politician.” Mr. Farmer further stated: “She was a colleague and a friend and her passing is so terribly sad. “She made such a tremendous contribution to her local community, as well as the wider Stirling electorate.”” Ms. Brisley’s survivors include her two children, five grandchildren, and a great-grandson.