Tributes paid to former Midlothian councillor Peter Boyes

Tributes have been paid to former Midlothian councillor Peter Boyes who sadly died recently aged 74, with his family beside him at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
Former Midlothian councillor Peter Boyes sadly passed away at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary recently.Former Midlothian councillor Peter Boyes sadly passed away at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary recently.
Former Midlothian councillor Peter Boyes sadly passed away at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary recently.

First elected as a Labour member of the former Lothian Regional Council in 1978, he later won a seat on Midlothian Council and served for a spell as deputy leader.

But he resigned from the Labour Party in 2013 and sat as an independent until stepping down the following year after a series of health problems.

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A former soldier, Mr Boyes had worked as a miner at Monktonhall colliery and later became a director of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust.

Peter was well known in the community, especially in his village of Easthouses where he lived and fought for better conditions for locals.

Mayfield and Easthouses Community Council chairman Robert Hogg said: “Sad to hear that our ex-local councillor Peter Boyce passed away. He was a local councillor for Mayfield and Easthouses for a good number of years.

“Peter was a big supporter of the mining community and was very prominent in the community during the miners’ strike in 84-85.

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“And he worked closely with the community council when he was approached on a number of issues that affected the local community.

“Peter will be well remembered for fighting to keep the new Newbattle High School in the community at Easthouses, fighting against his own colleagues and officials who wanted to move the school to Greenhall. And he always fought against coalescence of our communities, especially at Kippelaw.

“He was what you would call an old school councillor, which sometimes upset some people, but he supported his community as an elected councillor should do, and he always marched in the gala day parade and supported the gala day.

“He supported the building of the miners’ memorial stone at Easthouses. And he never forgot Remembrance Day, and wore the medals of an old veteran who had passed away in memory of him, which the old soldier’s family truly appreciated Peter doing each year.

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“Peter will be remembered as someone who represented his community and supported his community for many years to the best of his ability. And for that we thank him.”

Former council colleague Jimmy Burnett posted a tribute on Facebook: “Very sad news. I was a councillor on Lothian Region with Peter in the 70s and early 80s, together with John Mulvey, Paul Nolan, Neil Lindsay, Jimmy Cook, Phyllis Herriot, Eric Milligan, and of course many others.

“Great achievements were made. Tremendous service improvements implemented. The Halcyon days of local government.

“Peter made an enormous contribution to the group, both in terms of his solid political approach, but equally important to make us laugh however difficult the circumstances were.

“RIP Peter.”

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Among the tributes on the Advertiser Facebook page, Keith Stewardson posted: “Farewell Peter, a good councillor who done a lot for his community and constituents, will truly be sadly missed by those who knew him well.”

Peter’s funeral took place on Monday at Mortonhall Crematorium.