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About Marjorie Simpson

Marjorie Simpson came to live in Yarm in 1970 when she married a Farmer.
She has two children and two grandchildren

She lived in the parish of Hilton and was a Hilton Parish Councillor. For 25 years she supported and attended Hilton Parish Church

She joined Yarm Conservative Party in 1973 where she eventually became Secretary and then Chairman of Yarm Branch.  She was selected by Yarm committee to stand in Ingleby Barwick as a County Councillor.

She eventually became Constituency Chairman of Stockton South Conservative Party, an office that she held for five years moving on to become Area Chairman

At the demise of the County Council she was selected by Yarm Branch to represent Yarm on Stockton Borough Council and served from 1999 to 2005.

Being the daughter of a District Nurse and Midwife her first choice of committees was Social Services.   She was appalled at the lack of funding provided by Stockton and the lack of aids and adaptation for the elderly and disabled.   Elderly frail people who could not mount the stairs were left up to two or three years having to use a commode and wash in the kitchen sink.  She found these were not isolated cases.  Those elderly or disabled people who were provided care were given fifteen minutes to shower, fifteen minutes to be toileted and were always being hurried along.   She thanked God that she and her family were able bodied and not reliant upon Social Services for care.  

It was the various cases that she discovered that actually made her realise that all members of political parties can have a meeting of minds.   On the delivery of one of her many speeches on this subject she was told that members of the Labour Party were not able to vote with her as they wished to do as their party whips would not allow it.  Similarly there were conservative councillors who did not want to rock the boat.   In self interest they may not be able to achieve what they wished to do.  Marjorie felt that it was not important what any individual wanted for themselves that they should be thinking what they could put in not what they could be taking out.  

This was the beginning of a party division.  Leaders who wanted to lead without opposition from other group members.   The weak by banding into a large number eventually conquered the strong and an unpopular Ingleby Barwick Councillor saved herself from being voted out of office by ensuring she was the candidate for Yarm Ward and that her treasured public position continued.

At this point Marjorie created Yarm Independent Association as she felt that residents would be better represented without a political affiliation.  A FAIR DEAL was promised by Ingleby Barwick Independents to residents of Ingleby Barwick and they have not regretted that choice.  A FAIR DEAL will always be given to all residents by Yarm Independent Association.  It is time that the bully-boy tactics of political parties were eradicated from councils and that every councillor be in a position to vote with their conscience – for the good of the general public.

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Teesside Society for the Blind

Marjorie has been chairman of the society for a number of years.   She was first introduced to the committee as a County Councillor in 1989 when she thought she had entered into a Victorian establishment.   As Chairman she has introduced many improvements aimed at independent living for all visually impaired people.

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Member of Community Centre Committees

Yarm Youth and Community Centre
Layfield Community Centre

School Governorships

Yarm Primary School
Cleveland College of Art and Design

Hilton Parish Council

Marjorie was a Hilton Parish Councillor for 25 years and supported and attended Hilton Parish Church. 

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