Wirral Council has voted unanimously to bestow the honorary freedom of the borough award on the late entertainer Paul O’Grady.
The award is the highest the council can give, and Wirral has only granted it to 12 others. It is awarded to those who have made an ‘exceptional contribution’ to the borough.
At an extraordinary meeting of full council on Monday (10 July), the proposal passed with the assent of all members present.
Cllr Jerry Williams, mayor of Wirral, said: ‘Paul O’Grady became a national treasure – but he was a son of Birkenhead and even long after he moved away, he never forgot his hometown.
‘The stories about his upbringing in Wirral – always told affectionately and honestly – were a much-loved part of his personality.
‘Wirral has been the birthplace of – and home to – a great many talented and well-known personalities, but few have been as synonymous with the area and represented it so well as Paul O’Grady.
‘Apart from being a great entertainer and presenter, he was also a long-standing, passionate supporter of good causes. He was a trailblazer for equality and social justice.’
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