WITH a political career spanning 55 years, councillor Chris Bithell led the way as Flintshire County Council honoured it’s longest-serving members.
The authority was only founded in 1996 and officially the honours were for councillors who had served for 25 or more consecutive years.
But Mold East Labour councillor Bithell, currently Cabinet Member for Planning, Public Health and Public Protection, has enjoyed a much longer career in county-level politics.
He was first elected to Mold Urban Council in 1970, then Delyn Borough Council in 1973 and has remained a representative for his constituents in Mold and the wider population of first Clwyd, then Flintshire, ever since.
Receiving the award, Cllr Bithell said: “I’m greatly honoured to receive this long service medal. It makes me sound like Methuselah hearing about my career going back to 1970.
“I must say I’ve really enjoyed the experience and I am very grateful to the constituents in my ward who elected me and re-elected me time and again.
“It’s been a great honour to serve them and to continue to serve them. Councillors do their very level best in my experience and they achieve a great deal.
“But it’s not always acknowledged and I think it needs to be. Thank you again for this great honour.”
Another individual honoured for their long service was former Liberal Democrat councillor Neville Phillips OBE. Elected to Alyn and Deeside Borough Council in 19763, he served through the transformation to Flintshire County Council.
The former steelworker, who also served on Buckley Town Council, left the council in 2022.
“I’m sure some of you weren’t born when I was first elected,” he said. “Thank you to the officers who still remember me!”
Another Liberal Democrat councillor – Argoed and New Brighton representative and former council chair Hilary McGuill, was honoured after first being elected in 1999 in what she confirmed would be her final term as a county councillor.
“I’d like to thank everyone in my ward who put their faith in me for the last 25 years,” she said. “It’s been my honour to serve you.
“Unfortunately this is going to be my last term of office but I hope that you are satisfied with the service that I have given.”
Shotton East and Shotton Higher Cllr Ron Davies – first elected in 1980 and the last serving chairman of Clwyd County Council before the formation of Flintshire, was also recognised.

The Labour representative told the chamber: “I’ve had a good time and I’ve always had good support from members across the chamber whatever political colour they were and of course from the officers.”
Council chairman Cllr Dennis Hutchinson also received a long service medal.
An independent councillor for Buckley Pentrobin, Cllr Hutchinson served on Alyn and Deeside Borough Council initially and has been a Flintshire County Councillor since its formation.
“Many thanks for your support,” he said. “It’s been great honour and pleasure. Being a councillor was better than going to a football match – although maybe I’m telling a fib there!
“Nevertheless, thank you for your support not just for me but for my wife Jeanne, it’s been an honour to serve.”
Also recognised was former council leader and Flint Castle representative Cllr Ian Roberts, first elected to Delyn Borough Council in 1991.
Each councillor received a commemorative medal to mark their service.