Paul Nolan: Tributes as former Craigmillar councillor dies - 'a legendary fighter and lifelong campaigner'

Former Lothian social work chairman Paul Nolan – lifelong campaigner and family man too

Tributes have been paid to former Edinburgh Labour councillor Paul Nolan who has died, aged 73.

He represented Craigmillar on Lothian Regional Council for nearly two decades, was closely involved in many local organisations and also served for several years on the community council. He was diagnosed with cancer last year.

His daughter, Lyndsay Nolan, posted the news of his death on social media: “It is with the greatest sadness that I have to announce that this morning my father Paul Nolan passed away. He passed with no pain and with family around him.” She added that she had been inundated with messages.

Paul Nolan was regional councillor for Niddrie/Craigmillar and served as Lothian social work chairman from 1986 until 1992.

And there were many tributes. Former fellow councillor Jimmy Burnett posted: “Paul was a great guy, a legendary fighter on behalf of Craigmillar, a brilliant chair of Social Work and as you know a life long campaigner for and defender of, public services. He will be greatly missed.”

Another Facebook tribute read: “He has made a huge contribution over decades to improving the lives of people in Edinburgh and was a thoroughly nice man. He'll be sorely missed by many.”

Paul Nolan was born in Newcraighall and lived there as a child before moving to nearby Craigmillar. After leaving school he opted for office work and quickly found himself managing a team. He joined Craigmillar Labour Party in 1967 and used to joke that within a year he had reached the dizzying heights of becoming minutes secretary. It’s also where he met his wife Kathleen, a fellow Young Socialist – they had three children and celebrated their golden wedding anniversary last year.

He was elected to Lothian Regional Council at a by-election in 1977 following the retirement of former Lord Provost Jack Kane. And he was a member of the ruling Labour group when the council found itself at loggerheads with Margaret Thatcher’s new Conservative government which was determined to curb rate rises eve if it meant severe spending cuts.

Paul Nolan, with the red tie, at an election celebration with late Evening News columnist John Gibson, with the blue rosette, former Edinburgh East Labour MP Gavin Strang, constituency agent Jim Baird, and councillor David Brown. Picture: Tina Norris.

He later served as chair of Lothian’s social work committee, from 1986 until 1992. When regional and district councils were scrapped in the mid-1990s, he did not join the new city council, but some time later he became a community councillor in Craigmillar. However, in 2006 the city council launched court action in a bitter dispute over the appointment of Mr Nolan and two others to the community council and an 18-month legal battle ended with them being removed from their positions. But he and one of the others were elected back onto the community council in 2013.

He remained active in the Labour Party, serving until recently as co-chair of Edinburgh Eastern Constituency Labour Party. And he continued campaigning, condemning proposals to close care homes and fighting against the cancellation of Edinburgh's new eye hospital. But he was also a family man. His daughter Lyndsay said: “When he retired he took care of the grand-kids and then the great-grand-kids. He became a really hands-on grandfather, automatically. We all relied on him.”