THE number of independent councillors on Wellington Town Council has increased to six – according to the council’s annual report.

The report was presented at the annual parish meeting on Wednesday (May 27) which was held at the United Reformed Church Hall in Fore Street and hosted by the town council.

Cllr Janet Lloyd said she was surprised to see that Cllrs Chris Booth and John Thorne had been identified as members of the independent group when they had previously represented the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives respectively.

It meant that there were now six independent councillors on the council alongside six Lib Dems and three Labour members.

The mayor, Cllr Mark Lithgow, said it was important to emphasise that although it was a political council, it did not make decisions based on politics, but those which had the best interests of Wellington.

Cllr Lithgow, a Lib Dem member, said that there was no party whip used on his colleagues when it came to decision-making.

Cllr John Thorne said that he had not joined the independent group, but was now an independent councillor.

“I whip myself,” he quipped. “I am now an independent councillor – we are all independents. I think to say there is an independent group deceives the public.

“I had thought of myself as an independent Conservative before because I rarely did what they asked me to do!”

The town council is made up of five wards – Rockwell Green, Wellington North, Wellington South, Wellington South East and Wellington East.

The council’s annual report said: “Councillors work together to serve the town without political bias.”

Wellington Town Council political set-up: Independents – Cllrs Janet Lloyd, Justin Cole, Sean Pringle-Kosikowsky, John Thorne, Chris Penk and Chris Booth.

Liberal Democrats – Cllrs Ross Henley, Keith Wheatley, Mark Lithgow, Steve Mercer, Gareth Williams and George Western.

Labour – Cllrs Mike McGuffie, Catherine Govier-Wiggins and Andrew Govier.