Tory councillor who rowed with PMs Thatcher and Cameron dies aged 86
Jewish Telegraph, October 2024
A FORMER Conservative councillor who had cross words with prime ministers Margaret Thatcher and David Cameron has died at the age of 86.
Sam Cohen, who passed away in North Manchester General Hospital after a long illness, represented Unsworth on Bury Council for 20 years.
During a visit to Radcliffe by then-prime minister Thatcher, Sam got into an argument with the Iron Lady.
Neither of them would let the other have the last word, so with no end in sight and Thatcher in danger of being late for her next appointment, her agent had to pull her away.
Despite the row, Sam always maintained that ‘Maggie’ was his favourite prime minister.
In April 2008, then-Tory leader Cameron visited Bury and held a roundtable with the party’s councillors.
According to Sam’s wife Sandra, Cameron told the councillors: “Anything any of you need from us, just ask and we’ll try and help.”
Sam butted in: “Stop talking and don’t say anything so silly.” Cameron replied: “Point taken.”
Sam was known for not always following party policy.
He worked tirelessly to have houses on one estate repaired. At the election, the houses all bore posters calling for his re-election from the predominantly Labour supporters on the estate.
Former Labour MP for Bury South, Ivan Lewis, said: “We were mainly on opposing sides politically, but there was a lot of mutual respect. He never allowed political differences to become personal.”
Sam was born in London to Morris and Miriam Cohen.
He moved to Manchester with his family when he was three, after his home was bombed during the Second World War. The ceiling collapsed on the bed where he had been sleeping just minutes earlier.
He met Sandra Lennard at the Waterpark Club.
They were married by Rabbi Gershon Wulwick at Heaton Park Synagogue in March, 1964 and settled in Sunnybank.
Sam died on the first day of Rosh Hashana — a day before his wife’s 80th birthday.
He had always told his family that he wanted to survive long enough to celebrate his diamond wedding anniversary, which he was able to do, along with the weddings of two of his grandchildren.
The couple have two children, Belinda and Mike, who is deputy editor of the Jewish Telegraph, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Sam — who has a younger brother, Philip — was managing director of a wholesale handbag company, which involved a number of trips each year to Hong Kong.
A Manchester City fan, he took his father-in-law to the 1981 FA Cup final against Tottenham, telling his son that he would have plenty of opportunities to see City at Wembley in the future.
It would be 30 years before City reached another cup final — which Sam, despite his poor health, was able to attend with Mike.
Sam’s special interests were education and the prevention of crime. He was Bury Council’s representative on the Greater Manchester Police Authority.
He was chairman of governors at Unsworth Primary School for 30 years and served on many other school governing bodies. He was also on Hollins Grundy Primary School board.
The Lancashire County Cricket Club member was also on the management committee of Delamere Trust and a trustee of JSense (Jewish Special Educational Needs Services).
Son Mike said: “Dad was a bit like a cat with nine lives. He survived so many medical conditions, like heart attacks, a brain tumour, heart failure, a hernia, diabetes . . .
“It was inevitable that the Grim Reaper would eventually find him.
“His final few months were hard on the whole family as we were told countless times that he was at death’s door, only to find him sitting up in bed the next day.”
He added: “I also owe my musical tastes to my father. He took me to see Meatloaf twice when I was a kid, which cemented my love of rock music.
“Fortunately I did not fall in love with opera, which became his main musical love — although he did develop an obsession with indie band Arcade Fire.”
He was buried at Agecroft cemetery on Sunday.
