Local government reorganisation will see massive changes to the council system in Staffordshire over the coming two years – but it is nothing new for a veteran former cllr who remembers the last major shake-up more than 50 years ago.

Jack Kemp was one of the first councillors on the new Stafford Borough Council when it came into being in 1974, having been elected the year before as a 39-year-old Labour candidate.

Now in his 90s, Mr Kemp became an Honorary Alderman following his retirement from the borough council in 2023 after 50 years' service.

And last month he was granted another rare honour – the Freedom of the Borough – in recognition of his civic work.

Mr Kemp's length of service on Stafford Borough Council will now never be equalled on the authority, as it faces the axe in 2028.

Elections will take place next year to the "shadow council" that will eventually replace seven local authorities covering the south of Staffordshire – and Mr Kemp still remembers being a shadow council member more than five decades ago.

He said: "I wasn't really concerned (about local government reorganisation) – it was a new idea to me. I got elected after I left the Royal Air Force, because you couldn't be involved in politics in the Royal Air Force.

"I got elected to the 'shadow council' (in 1973) and we worked alongside the old council for a year before the new borough council took over.

"It was formed of four councils; the old borough council, Stafford Rural, Stone Rural and Stone Urban District Council.

"The first meeting I ever attended was at the Borough Hall (now the Gatehouse Theatre).

"The Borough Hall was where all the borough offices were and we flitted around the different bases for meetings because the councillors were from different places; Stafford Rural was at the White House on Newport Road and the Stone councils were at the (now Stone Town Council) offices in Station Road and the Frank Jordan Centre."

The new Stafford Borough Council included a number of members of the old authority, including Leonard Jacques – who went on to become Mayor in 1979 – and Iris Moseley, who was the town's First Citizen in 1964.

Henry Butter, who represented Eccleshall as a borough councillor until 2011, was a member of Stone Rural District Council from 1967 to 1973.

The first Mayor of the new authority was Barlaston representative Ruth Dickson.

She succeeded Bill Simpson, the last Mayor to have had his name added to the civic chain of office, who went on to become a borough councillor too.

Mr Kemp said: "The new council was made up of experienced people from all four different authorities.

"Walter Dean was the leader of the Conservative group, Len Jacques was the leader of the Labour group and Ruth Dickson was somewhat of an influence in the Stone area.

"I had not had dealings with the urban council in Stone or anything to do with Stone before, it was very new to me and I had to get to know different places.

"You could say the same for the people of Stone – they didn't know anything about the background of Stafford and they had to learn where various things were.

"For them it was probably a shock because the rural councils were totally different in their attitude.

"But not everything revolved around Stafford Borough – there was sufficient influence in other areas for things to be always spread.

"One of the things I remember was I was on the appointment committee, appointing the staff, and we interviewed the very first chief executive of the borough.

"After one year we started doing things like planning committees, and the planning department was at Tithe Barn Court."

Eventually during Mr Kemp's early period as an elected member Stafford Borough Council moved into the Civic Centre at Riverside, built on the site of the town's former Brine Baths.

He went on to become leader of Stafford Borough Council – and almost saw another shake-up of local authorities in the 1980s.

"I was the leader of the council at the time and we went to various meetings about it", he said.

"Because the power changed, I had to hand over to (former Conservative leader) Mike Heenan.

"He was going and talking to various people about joining up, in the same situation.

"All of a sudden it collapsed."

Concerns were raised in the past about potential loss of identities for towns and villages, as well as one former council area possibly becoming more dominant over another in the new authorities, Mr Kemp remembers.

Other fears have been raised about how effective local representation will be on larger councils.

The new Southern Staffordshire authority is set to have 92 councillors, representing a combined population of more than 680,000 people.

There will also be the future of current council buildings to consider.

While Cannock Chase District Council is considering moving out of its current Civic Centre as part of town centre regeneration proposals, Stafford Borough Council bought its Riverside headquarters last year.

Under the current Government's proposals for new unitary authorities, a northern Staffordshire council will cover Newcastle Borough, Staffordshire Moorlands District and the city of Stoke-on-Trent, while a southern authority will serve residents in Cannock Chase District, East Staffordshire Borough, Lichfield District, South Staffordshire District, Stafford Borough and Tamworth Borough. Staffordshire County Council will be abolished, alongside the current borough and district authorities and Staffordshire County Council.

Mr Kemp said: "The idea they are now splitting it north/south is logical.

"They have a different sort of attitude and characteristics in the north.

"You have Stoke-on-Trent, which is the domineering area, and then you have the Moorlands and Newcastle to join them. I can understand why they're a bit bitter – the same thing happened in the 80s, when they didn't want it in Newcastle.

"When it was proposed, I talked to Cannock about it and they weren't enthusiastic at all in the 80s. And now (Stafford Borough Council and Cannock Chase District Council) have the same chief executive."