A lifelong trades unionist and Labour Party member, Councillor Gawthrope was first elected to the City Council to represent King’s Hedges ward as one of a local team of four Labour Councillors in 2012, and in May 2018 became Mayor of Cambridge, a role he excelled in.
Councillor Lewis Herbert, Leader of the City’s 26 Labour Councillors and of the City Council said: "Our thoughts and emotions are with his wife Jenny so far away, and with Nigel's family and close friends at this truly horrible time. As a councillor and Mayor of Cambridge Nigel served with distinction and panache and he represented so well what was best in our city including always remembering those who needed the Council’s help the most. Nigel was a one-off and he will be hugely missed and long remembered on the council but even more so by his Labour colleagues as a friend.
Councillor Kevin Price said: "Nigel was both a friend and a colleague. We had long shared a history of trades union activism within the printing industry before he joined me on the council as a Labour councillor for Kings Hedges ward, He loved representing the ward where he grew up and many residents in the ward will share our deep shock and sadness at his untimely death.
Councillor Martin Smart said.; "As a new councillor, I learned so much from Nigel who was kind and generous with his time in helping me with my role. He will always have my respect and admiration and his loss will be felt keenly in Kings Hedges."
Councillor Gerri Bird said: " Nigel was a dear friend and a hard working fellow councillor and we worked especially closely together this year with his Mayoralty as I was his Deputy Mayor. I will miss him greatly and my thoughts and sympathy are with his wife Jenny and his family at this time."
Mike Davey, Chair of Cambridge Constituency Labour Party, said: "Councillor Gawthrope was highly respected in the Cambridge Labour Party and he brought his decades of experience as a trades unionist with him along with an ability to connect with people all across the city, which served him so well on the City Council and in his role as Mayor. We send our deepest sympathy to his wife and family,"
Daniel Zeichner, Labour MP for Cambridge, has added how devastated he is at the death of his long-time friend, colleague and fellow trade unionist, including from the long period when Daniel worked for Unison and Nigel was a leading figure in the printers’ union SOGAT and then Unite
"We are all shocked and saddened at the very sad news that we have lost Nigel. He, and Cambridge, have been robbed of the second half of his mayoralty, and I have lost a good friend. Nigel was Cambridge through and through - I've known him for many years in the trade union movement and the Labour Party, and in recent months, he and Jenny and I have done many civic events together.
“I recently spotted him striding along Mill Road in the full mayoral regalia, because he wanted the people to be able to share in his pride at being Cambridge's first citizen, and they did. He will be sorely missed, because they simply don't make them like Nigel anymore."