Terry Lamb, the leader of the newly-formed Independent group of councillors on Breckland Council

Independent councillors oust Labour as main opposition on Breckland Council

By MARTIN GEORGE Saturday, July 21, 2012
6:17 PM

A newly-formed group of independent councillors has ousted Labour as the main opposition group on Breckland Council.

Breckland Labour leader Terry Jermy

Thetford Labour councillor Carl Clark’s decision to leave the party last month left Labour with just three seats, and the four non-affiliated councillors have now banded together to create a formal group of their own.

Their decision has deprived Labour leader Terry Jermy of his £2,600 annual allowance for leading the main opposition to the 45 Conservatives, which now goes to new Independent leader Terry Lamb.

Mr Jermy, who had given up full-time work to concentrate on his Breckland duties, said he was “not bitter but disappointed” but would now have to find work to pay his bills.

Mr Lamb said the money was the last thing on his mind, and he might distribute his allowance to causes in Thetford, the area he represents.

He said: “We knocked our heads together and thought why should we be separated. It will be a loose arrangement in all respects, unless there’s something we are united on. Otherwise we will go on our own independent way. It’s a bit of a contradiction, but apparently it does happen.

“Any opposition on Breckland is a bit farcical really because of the Conservatives’ absolute control. I don’t think the Labour group has made much of a go at being in opposition, so perhaps we should have a go.”

Conservative cabinet member and election agent Ian Sherwood questioned how a group of independents could function.

He said: “To me they are either independent or a group. I don’t see how you can be both. It’s beyond my understanding how you can represent the people. They were voted in on the understanding they were independent of being influenced by other people.”

Labour’s could regain its former status if it captured seats from the Conservatives in two by-elections next week.

22 comments

If there were more fine and upstanding councillors in Norfolk like Terry Jermy the County wouldn’t be in the mess it’s in. As a resident of West Norfolk, I welcomed the support he showed by writing to Caroline Spelman, how many other councillors showed the same moral fibre? Rather than attacking a young man who is doing a fine job over his meagre salary, people should be looking at NCC Directors who have a need to supplement their £109,000 salaries, and those councillors who have raked up large expenses and contributed next to nothing to the taxpayers who finance them.

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Honest John

Monday, July 23, 2012
Lord Ticklebum - indeed, if I had a family of my own I would not be able to do what I do, but again this is a choice I have made, but does not mean that I am not able to represent my community as I do not have children currently. I

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CllrTerryJermy

Monday, July 23, 2012
Lord Ticklebum - indeed, if I had a family of my own I would not be able to do what I do, but again this is a choice I have made, but does not mean that I am not able to represent my community as I do not have children currently. I

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CllrTerryJermy

Monday, July 23, 2012
My dear boy, don't dig any deeper. Please pass on your advice as to how to live on £7,800 pa while owning a property (I presume you don't live with your parents) and have such luxuries as a PClaptop and broadband connection etc. Are you also saying that councillors (inc. your Labour colleagues) perform a half-hearted job if they have other gainful employment. I would have thought those who work for a living and raise a family have more of an understanding of the pressures families are under today and therefore have more of a connection with the public? I think it's great that you're a young councillor and claim to be so committed to the cause but your commentsposts on here are raising more questions than answers. I'd also be interested as to where all these jobs are that offer £25-30k pa, as I'd like to apply!

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Lord Ticklebum

Monday, July 23, 2012
This view that Councillors get paid a fortune and that they all don't earn their money is very wrong. Councillors on Breckland get £5,200 annually for being a Councillor, which is taxable. That's approx £380 a month, hardly much to live on and most work very hard for that money and can be regarded as 'good' Cllrs (from all political persuasions). The £2,600 annually that I got as Leader of the Opposition, was on top of that £5200 basic salary, hence why I considered it necessary to give up full-time employment, I didn't just want to take the money and do a half hearted job. I put in considerable hours for that, attending approx 50 meetings for the District in the last financial year, I am also a Thetford Town Councillor, and have been for four years, entirely voluntary - where you cannot even claim expenses - I undertake the role of the Chairman of the Personnel Committee, as well as other responsibilities and put in considerable hours (that's my choice, and I accept that). However, you cannot have it both ways, you (i.e. the public) cannot have younger councillors, and those from a mix of backgrounds if you do not go some way towards reimbursing them for their time. I have made a choice with my life, which is to serve the Town that I was born in and to work towards maker it a better place to live for all. I'm 26 years old, I could have gone off to London, Norwich, Cambridge etc like many of my friends did when we completed schoolcollege and I could be earning £25-£30k, but I chose not to, I have accepted that this is what I want to do and therefore accept that I will not have much money as a result, but I cannot function without my bills being paid - I need somewhere to live, and to be able to put petrol in my car if I am to serve my electorate adequately.

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CllrTerryJermy

Monday, July 23, 2012
Makes complete sense to me for the Independents to join forces for mutual benefit, the only reason the Conservatives have a problem with it is because it makes the opposition stronger. If the Cons and Lib Dems can work together at national level why can't Independents? As more and more of the electorate become disillusioned with mainstream political parties more and more Independents will win seats across Norfolk.

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MrMingMong

Monday, July 23, 2012
Councillor Jermy is a good guy; he speaks out where many stay silent. He is still the Leader of the Labour Group and will still get his members allowance and expenses the same as all other Councillors get. The extra payment for being leader of the main opposition group is the only thing that has been removed and that is due to Labour now only having three seats while the Independents have four. Councillor Sherwood’s comments are foolish. Independents can, and do, work together for the good of those who elect them. In West Norfolk Councillor Mike Tilbury leads the Independent group, it works well. They have seats on committees and they vote on council matters. They are certainly not whipped, influenced or forced to vote in any way other than what they believe is right for the people of the ward they represent.

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Joy, King's Lynn

Sunday, July 22, 2012
In a nutshell that is what is wrong with councillors. They give up their jobs to survive on small amounts as councillors and then get sucked in to the system whereby they can earn extra stipends by sucking up to the leader of the Council. Consequently they are ruled with a rod of iron and will not under any circumstances stand up for themselves or, more importantly, for the people of their area. It would be so much better if councillors were just given expenses and no stipend, then, like magistrates, you would only get people who do it pro bono publico. As for Ian Sherwood, come on mate. Anyone can form a loose alliance of people who presumably are like minded but the massive difference is that they dont suffer from a whip telling them exactly what to do. I can't wait for independents to take over the county then we can go back to having part time councillors instead of being kidded on that they have full time responsibilities. What absolute rubbish. One councillor in Broadland boasted incessantly about how much work he had to do that those of a mathematical persuasion realised that he was working over 24 hours a day 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Magical, not.

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alecto

Sunday, July 22, 2012
So NRG a councillor is wrong for doing his job on a small amount but you welcome MPs work on a large salary? Any excuse for a swipe at Labour.

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omnishambles

Sunday, July 22, 2012
True Independents get their remit and mandate from their voters, whilst Ian Sherwood's conservatives make decisions behind closed doors and impose them on to the electorate, thats the difference. Independents should consider all voters, regardless of their constituents party allegiances.

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ingo wagenknecht

Sunday, July 22, 2012
A few sweeping statements here that go nowhere near reality. Councillor Jermy is one of the hardest working councillors that I have come across.in spite of a massivley one party domination of the district he works tirelessly for the communities that he represents. £2,600 is a small price to pay to have someone challanging the control that the conservative led council impose on the district.. My belief is that the new coalition of independants is less about coalition and more about giving councillor Jermy a hard time because he is challanging Councillor Lambs commitment to his electorate within Thetford, and sour grapes because locally his authority is being challanged by an increasing number of Thetford councillors including members of the majority tories. As for coucillor Clark the labour party helped and advised him, supported his election then he decided that they do not represent his views due to stuff that went on long before his election. he then crossed over to independant, said he would not allow a by election ,then he would ,then again he would not. I am not sure he knows what he wants so find it hard to believe that he could form part of any coalition because he does not even know what he is independant of. In all I feel that this is the work of a bitter councillor Lamb seeking to curtail the hard work of councillor Jermy because he is obviously doing a far better job of representing his community. as for nrg's comments please do not make assunptions about people you know nothing of, and why knock the one councvillor in this that is hard working and actually cares about the area and people he represents. Please before making crass and sweeping statements have a look at the ammount of work this guy does for his £2,600 he is far from a new labour luvvie.

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vic

Sunday, July 22, 2012
Cllr Jermy would also have been in receipt of a basic annual allowance of £5200, which he will retain.

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Nemesis

Sunday, July 22, 2012
I don't know Terry Jermy but I did read the letter on his blog that he sent to Caroline Spelman stating Breckland Council had played no part in the letter written on 'behalf' of them. Shame a few more Norfolk Councillors haven't got his sense of decency or his guts. Good for you Terry.

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Honest John

Sunday, July 22, 2012
Double Trouble, We don't know the ins and outs...Is the nuLabour luvvie claiming benefits as well??? Does he have a partner??? or live at home with rich mummy and daddy??Most people can't live on 40 squid a week, unless they're banged up in prison or living at Dale Farm properties Ltd...simples, even for nuLabour job seekers.

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nrg

Saturday, July 21, 2012
And most MPs are on £64,000 plus expenses, but your outrage is with a councillor giving up work to live on £2,000? A little confused.

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Double Bill

Saturday, July 21, 2012
A few more zeros at the end might temp me tory boy....Most councilors are cr*p at helping people, they tend to create more problems than they solve.....ask our local MP's how much extra work they have because the local numpties are on par with a field of cabbages.

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nrg

Saturday, July 21, 2012
Think about what you've just said NRG. You mock a Labour councillor for giving up his job to work for local people on £2,600 a year. I wonder if you could do that?

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omnishambles

Saturday, July 21, 2012
A start of things to come across norfolk?

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Marigold

Saturday, July 21, 2012
“not bitter but disappointed” but would now have to find work to pay his bills..Oh my heart bleeds!!!

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jason edwards

Saturday, July 21, 2012
NRG - you don't know me, but you're prepared to comment? I gave up a well paid job, to focus on my responsibilities at Breckland, for what? an extra £2,600? How wonderful.

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CllrTerryJermy

Saturday, July 21, 2012
Giving up his job to live on expenses?? typical nuLabour luvvie!!!!!!

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nrg

Saturday, July 21, 2012
I thought independents were just that - not part of a group or party?

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omnishambles

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Independent councillors oust Labour as main opposition on Breckland Council

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