Meet your new Rutland County Councillor.

74-year-old Paul Browne has taken his first elected office, just as the candidate he once stood against in 1970, establishes himself in the House of Lords as Baron Kenneth Clarke of Nottingham.

The retired solicitor finally enjoyed a sensational by-election victory, when last month he took a seat for the Liberal Democrats from the county's ruling Conservatives.

That had been called when Paul's Browne's Oakham South predecessor Nick Woodley quit the county council after he spoke out against housing plans on a greenfield site off Braunston Road, yet planning committee voted for it as previously reported by Nub News.

Since then, Paul has been busily preparing himself for his new role, including what he expects will be many battles ahead.

The father of three sons and grandfather to two 'very lively' grand-daughters has been very happily married to Christina Ann Brown for 48 years.

Paul said: "Both my wife and myself were born and brought up in Nottinghamshire. I had a normal progress through primary and secondary school and then started training as a chartered accountant which I really did not get on with.

"I first became involved with the then Liberal Party in late 60's and was their parliamentary candidate in the 1970 General Election fighting Kenneth Clarke.

"It was both our first elections and I was the youngest candidate in the country at 23. It is ironical that whilst he has recently retired, this is my first election victory. I then worked for the party for some years."

However, the expense of family life became paramount, so he decided to convert to a legal career and entered the School of Law and qualified as a solicitor in 1979.

Paul told Nub News: "I could not have done this without the patience and sacrifices made by wife.

"Initially I practised decided to practice in a criminal practice in North Nottinghamshire, then changing to property and land law, but also became involved in Mental Health Review Tribunal work at Rampton special hospital, which was challenging in itself."

The couple decided to move to Rutland in 1995 when they found a property called Home Farm at Brooke, just south of Oakham.

Paul continued: "It was really run down even with a tree growing through the roof, a real challenge. It took two years to renovate, but we loved the place and lived there until 2018, when we decided to down- size."

"I started my own legal practice in Oakham in 1997, specialising in property, land law and agricultural law. It steadily grew, eventually becoming the largest practice in Rutland.

"I retired in 2018 when my firm was taken over by Hegarty's who have continued my practice, in their name, in the new premises at South Street."

Paul recalled: "I enjoyed my legal career and have made many friends and acquaintances from my clients, and I think it was a good grounding for being a councillor."

"Outside of work, both my wife and myself were always involved with horses in various different disciplines, that was part of the attraction in coming to Rutland in the first place. We now both still enjoy National Hunt Racing and we are looking forward to the coming season."

But a passion for politics lingered, coupled with the time to become more involved and a feeling the Conservatives on Rutland County Council were making a mess of things. Here was a chance to stand and be counted and to hold the Tories to account.

Paul said: "I learnt a lot about peoples' concerns whilst out canvassing for this election, and I am going to do my very best to try and resolve those concerns to the best of my ability. There are a lot of issues and it will clearly take time."

But in his campaign Paul raised concerns over planning, the local plan, a ruling party making decisions behind closed doors, the decline of the high street, mental health care and other NHS services, such as GPs, including the practice in Oakham.

Paul had expected a close fight, but was surprised at the extent of his victory, gaining more than double the support of Conservative opponent Andy Burton, an Oakham town councillor.

It had been a hard-won fight, with the Lib-Dem campaign knocking on 1,000 doors and putting out 12,000 leaflets.

After a quick breather, it was soon back into action coming up to speed as a county councillor.

Paul said: "The Council officials have been fantastic in helping me to rapidly get a grasp of the complications of this new world of council business, in what has been a tumultuous few weeks, when important decisions have had to be taken. I really had to hit the ground running."

He added: "I am however extremely conscious that the voters of Oakham have clearly indicated, by the level of my victory ,that they want a change of direction in local politics and I and my Liberal Democrat colleagues are determined to battle to achieve that change, but I am under no misapprehension that the battle is going to be easy."

• Have you a good tale to tell? Do you know someone who might? If so, please email [email protected]