Tributes have been flooding in after death of a former Green Party leader

Keith Taylor, a former Brighton Councillor, MEP for South East England and national Green Party leader died yesterday at the age of 69.

Hundreds have paid tribute to Mr Taylor, including Brighton and Hove City council leader Phelim Mac Cafferty.

"I am devastated to learn of the death of my friend, colleague, former employer and one-of-a-kind politician, Keith Taylor,” said Councillor Mac Cafferty.

Mr Taylor was the son of a baker and a chemist assistant and according to Cllr Mac Cafferty “never has any plans to go into politics”.

Cllr Mac Cafferty said: "Indeed, his biggest claim to fame might be in pop music history when, as a 17-year-old lad from Southend, he secured a not-yet-well-known David Bowie to play at the 1970 Eastwood Free Festival."

Mr Taylor was famed for being the Green Party’s most successful parliamentary candidate ever in the UK, winning 22% of the vote in the Brighton Pavilion constituency at the 2005 General Election.

He succeeded Caroline Lucas as MEP for South East England when she stepped down after being elected as MP for Brighton Pavilion in 2010. He served in this role for nine years.

Caroline Lucas also paid tribute to Mr Taylor, mentioning his “infectious sense of humour”.

She tweeted: “Passionate about building a better world, worked so hard to secure first MP seat. I owe him so much.”

Cllr Mac Cafferty said: "Keith broke the mould. As a dedicated city councillor, national Green Party leader and Member of the European Parliament, he made a virtue of being, in his own words, a ‘straight forward talking chap.’

“He wore his description in the Guardian as someone who 'defies the stereotype of Green politicians as earnest or bookish academics' as a badge of honour.

“Fighting fracking, tackling air pollution before it was a mainstream concern, Keith was popular but never a populist. He used his voice, as he would say, to make life better for people, not worse."

Cllr Mac Cafferty worked for and alongside Keith, describing this as a "privilege".

"I will never forget what a terrifically good man, mentor, and leading light he was," said Cllr Mac Cafferty.

"He helped take the Greens from relative obscurity to a historic win in Brighton & Hove, with his thoughtful ability to put people at ease.

“But he was also someone with his feet firmly on the ground, often sporting a brilliant laugh and always finding a way of making the political struggle fun. He took the causes he championed incredibly seriously, but never himself.

"At 69, he has been taken far too early from us. I will miss him deeply, as will the entire Green Party family. My thoughts are with his beloved wife Lizzie, children Stef and Elly, ex-wife Linda and four grandchildren."