A stalwart of the Kent political scene has died.

A former Maidstone Mayor and Council Leader, Dan Daley first became active in local politics in 1985, when as a resident, he began campaigning to save playing fields in Allington from development.

He was successful and five years later, he was elected as a Liberal Democrat member to Maidstone Borough Council.

He has served his area continuously for more than three decades since.

Born in Shoreditch in London, his working life was spent mainly as a director of large freight transport infrastructure projects, for such industries as the railways, power stations and hotel chains.

In 1972 he was made a Freeman of the City of London.

He moved to Maidstone in 1974.

He formed a residents’ group to fight against KCC plans to sell off school playing fields in Allington and in 1990 was elected to represent Allington Ward.

He was re-elected another seven times until in 2022, aware that his health was in decline, he decided not to stand again.

However, from 2001, he had also been elected as the county councillor for the Maidstone Central Division, which includes Allington, Bridge, Fant, Heath and High Street wards.

He was re-elected to KCC a further five times and was still a serving member at the time of his death.

A cultured man who enjoyed music, Cllr Daley had served as president of Maidstone Winds - Maidstone's premier wind orchestra, vice-president of Maidstone Choral Union and was a member of Maidstone Orchestral Society.

He was also a trustee of many local charities: Maidstone Relief in Need Charities, an organisation that helps Maidstone residents who fall on hard times; and of the Gunsley Charity that provides a similar service for people in the City of Rochester. He was a trustee with the Maidstone Trust, the organisation that led to the development of the Maidstone River Walk and Whatman Park, and with the Allington Millennium Green, which he helped to establish.

For 11 years from 1996, he was a director of the Museum of Kent Life at Cobtree. For 10 years from 2000, he was a governor at Maidstone Grammar School and for four years from 2001 was the chairman of the Maidstone Duke of Edinburgh Award Panel.

In his political career, he rose to be leader of Maidstone council for seven years from 1992 till 1999, and he was the town's Mayor at the time of the Millennium.

He was highly praised for his tenure as Mayor and was awarded the Co-operative Bank Mayor of the Year Award.

He served as a cabinet member in two other Lib Dem administrations at Maidstone council and was also for a time the Lib Dem group chairman at KCC.

He was a trustee of the Royal West Kent Regimental Museum and was instrumental in leading the high profile campaign to commission two commemorative statues in Maidstone; one to the Queen's Gurkha Engineer (erected outside Maidstone Museum in 2008) and the other to the Royal Engineer 36 Regiment (erected in Brenchley Gardens in 2011). He listed his hobbies as history, photography and nature conservation.

For many years, Cllr Daley's KCC colleague representing Maidstone Central was fellow Lib Dem Rob Bird, but after Cllr Bird decided not to seek re-election in 2021, political rival Conservative Tom Cannon won the seat.

Cllr Cannon said: "Dan was very supportive to me as a new councillor at County Hall.

"Dan was an absolute gentleman, knowledgeable, wise and an excellent colleague.

"After the election I introduced myself to Dan. With a smile he made a joke about our age difference saying that he had been a councillor for more years than I had hot dinners, but he also said it was about time we had some new blood."

Cllr Cannon said: "He said despite being from different parties that he was always there to help and to remember that the politics doesn't really matter, it is the people we represent that matter.

"That was very much Dan's approach and I shall miss him."

Geoff Samme is the area chairman for the Maidstone Lib Dem group. He said: "Dan was a one-off; a larger-than-life character whose motivation to be involved in local politics was driven by the very best of reasons.

"His electoral success – 14 consecutive victories spanning a period from 1990 to 2021 is a testament to the popularity and the respect he generated from the people he represented.

"A champion for his community, an inspirational leader - we mourn the loss of our Grand Old Campaigner. Our thoughts and prayers are with Ann, the Daley family and Dan’s many friends in Maidstone and beyond."

Antony Hook is the leader of Lib Dem group at Kent County Council. He said: "We are very sad to lose Dan who has had a significant role in Maidstone and Kent local government for more than 30 years.

"We will miss his wisdom, experience and kindness. He will always be remembered, and our thoughts are with Dan’s wife and family."

Ian Chittenden was one of Cllr Daley's county colleagues. He said: "I worked with Dan for over 30 years.

"He was always there if help was needed. His knowledge and understanding of issues both within the Borough and at County level were second to none.

"Dan was not only dedicated to the residents of Allington and the other wards he represented as a County Councillor, but also to Maidstone as a whole.

"He made many friends both personally and in many organisations around our borough and beyond."

Former Maidstone county councillor Rob Bird said: "It was an immense privilege to partner Dan at Kent County Council.

"He was an excellent councillor, well respected by colleagues, adversaries and constituents.

He enjoyed helping people and loved promoting the many Maidstone organisations and good causes which were dear to his heart.

“Dan will be much missed by his many friends and in particular his wife Ann who had been his partner in life for over 60 years.

“I learnt so much from Dan and I really appreciated all the help he gave me. Above all, Dan was a great friend.”

Cynthia Robertson was Cllr Daley's fellow Lib Dem councillor representing Allington Ward with him for many years. Cllr Robertson said: "Dan was a good friend to me as well as a truly dedicated fellow ward councillor.

"He always responded to residents who needed his help by a personal call or visit to really listen and understand their concerns.

"He worked tirelessly for the benefit of everyone in Allington and the wider Maidstone Central KCC Division."

Council leader David Burton (Con) said: "I always though of Dan as ‘Father of the House’ at Maidstone council.

"His incredible length of service there earned him that status."

"Although we were representing different political colours, we definitely held a common objective; namely, to serve the people of Maidstone, and he would often share with me his recollections of policies and strategies that had been tried in the past.

"He freely gave of his knowledge and wisdom and I greatly valued and appreciated his generosity.

"He will be a sadly missed servant of Maidstone."

Cllr Daley passed away on Friday at Maidstone Hospital after a short illness. He was 90. He leaves a widow, Ann.