County councillors have paid moving tributes to former KCC leader Lord Sandy Bruce-Lockhart, who died last month.

The tributes came at a full council meeting, the first time county councillors had gathered for a formal meeting since the news of Lord Bruce-Lockhart’s death at the age of 66.

KCC leader Cllr Paul Carter said his predecessor had made a massive difference not just to Kent but to the country.

“He was much loved, an exceptional leader of KCC whose achievements were quite extraordinary.

"He resored self-belief to the county council, using his abundance of talent, charming personality, passion drive and sheer guts and determination. He was a remarkable man and a force for good who will be greatly missed,” he said.

The deputy leader of the opposition Labour group, Cllr Derek Smyth, said his pioneering work in developing programmes to help the less advantaged through the council’s Supporting Independence Programme had succeeded in uniting all politicians.

“There was something in it for everybody right across the political spectrum. For the political right, it enabled people to become more independent and less reliant on the state. That will be one of his real lasting achievements.”

Liberal Democrat opposition group leader Cllr Trudy Dean said Lord Sandy had been a great family man who was always modest about his achievements.

“He pushed local government into the spotlight in a way no-one else had ever been done before. He had a great belief in social justice and challenged the ethos in his own party. That is a legacy really worth having.”

Senior Labour county councillor Les Christie joked that his party became rather jealous of Sandy’s links with senior government figures and praised his ability to win over people across the political divide. “Sandy has left a gap which has not been, and will be very difficult, to fill.”

Cllr Leyland Ridings, a former KCC chairman, recalled a survey conducted by the Daily Telegraph of the most influential Conservatives in the country. “He was placed 39th, to which the only question could be: 'Who on earth were the other 38?’”

A memorial service commemorating Lord Sandy’s life is being planned.