New Reform councillors feel party is the ‘underdog’ as it rises in West Norfolk

Was it a low voter turnout, or is the tide turning? We spoke to West Norfolk’s new Reform councillors about their recent wins.Reform’s Austen Moore and Jackie Fry were named the new councillors for the North Lynn and Fairstead wards last week – roles previously filled by Labour.This now makes four councillors from the party in West Norfolk, with Julian Kirk representing the Walsoken, West Walton and Walpole Ward, and Peter Hodson securing Denver.

Turnouts for last week’s elections saw Cllr Moore snag 278 votes – 150 more than his nearest competition – with just a 13.2% turnout in North Lynn.Cllr Fry scraped a win with 289 votes – 14 more than Liberal Democrat Crystal Elaine Colwell, who got 275 in a 17.42% turnout in Fairstead.But Cllr Moore thinks that even if the turnout was doubled, the percentage that he had won by “would have been about the same”.

“I know the turnout was low, but I think this probably works similarly to a scientific kind of thing,” he said. “When you do a sample of something, you get a percentage, and if the sample gets bigger, the percentage generally stays roughly the same.”However, Cllr Fry is not convinced that her win would have been as simple. “I didn’t think it was going to be an easy win – it wasn’t. I am really pleased,” she said.She puts the district’s and the nation’s increase in Reform voters down to people wanting change.“I think what it has done is given themselves (Reform) and other people like myself across the country, who have never been in politics before, the chance to go in and make that difference.” This is Cllr Fry’s first time in a political role, and she is also very pleased to be the first elected female Reform councillor in Norfolk.“This is all very new to me. I am just very concerned about the state that the country is going in, and I want to make a difference,” she added.Although she first wants to see what the people want, in terms of helping the Fairstead ward, Cllr Fry is looking into community-based projects.Meanwhile, Cllr Moore is very keen to work with the Labour councillor who also represents North Lynn, Ben Jones. “The two of us want to work closely together and be able to have a good relationship because that’s what is important to the people of North Lynn, trying to help that community and build a better community,” he said.“The political difference between me and Ben is irrelevant when it comes to that. It doesn’t matter.”The Reform candidate believes that people vote for the party that gives them the most of what they want.“I don’t think you ever get it 100%,” he said. “But if you choose Liberal Democrat, if you choose Labour, if you choose Reform, if you choose Green, you’re basically saying ‘which one gets me as near to 100% of what I want’.”Cllr Moore, who has also never worked in a political role before, said that people are “nationally unhappy” with other parties at the moment, and described Reform as a “clean slate”.“I think, because it’s more of a movement, there are lots of general public people who are inspired to get involved,” he added.“I think the more people attack it, the more they give it strength, because when you attack the underdog, the British people aren’t too keen on that – we are actually fans of the underdog.” In the future, Cllr Moore hopes to continue to support projects like RISE North Lynn, among other things.The Lynn News approached Cllr Kirk and Cllr Hodson for comment, but had no response.