Independent group set to form minority council in West Norfolk after receiving support from Labour
West Norfolk’s Independent group looks set to take minority control of the borough council after reaching an agreement with Labour members.
No potential coalition deal between the two parties was reached, but Labour leader Charles Joyce has now pledged to support his Independent counterpart Terry Parish in forming the new council.
Cllr Parish will therefore become the new leader, and could be officially installed at tomorrow night’s annual council meeting.
He has told the Lynn News that he is “pleased” to have come to an agreement with Labour, which follows the formation of a new Independent Partnership made up of all Independent, Green and Liberal Democrat candidates voted in during the borough’s local elections earlier this month.
The new leader-elect added that he believes the change in administration – the first since 2003 – can be a positive one for West Norfolk.
That change will come despite the Conservative group taking the most seats on May 5, but its 21 were not enough for the 28 required for a majority council.
“We’ll be supporting Terry tomorrow night to form a minority adminstration, and basically move on from there,” Cllr Joyce said.
“The Labour group is quite happy with that, everybody seems quite happy with that.
“We clearly see with the way the wind is blowing with the electorate that that’s what they have decided.
“Come Friday, it’s a new world as far as the council is concerned.”
However, Conservative leader Stuart Dark has said he is disappointed the Independent group has opted to form a minority council without engaging in discussions with its Tory counterparts.
He said that while he and fellow Tory councillors respect the outcome of the election, they have a “concern” that a new Independent-led council may not fairly represent residents who voted Conservative.
“Very, very quickly after an election with a hung council, it became clear that their sole intent was forming a group to remove the Conservatives, who received 40% of the vote,” Cllr Dark said.
“I wish them every success going forward, and hope that their actual policies will reflect the 40% of the voters who presumably liked what had been going on locally.”
Cllr Dark has confirmed that he will be staying on as the borough’s Conservative leader, and added: “We will be doing our best to ensure a number of the major projects and investments that were coming to West Norfolk will carry on.”
