Westmorland and Furness Councils Deputy Chair Cllr Ali Jama has departed the Libdem Party to become an independent councillor after he was first elected in May 2021 to South Lakeland District Council as the Libdem Candidate for Kendal Rural.
In May 2022 in the elections for the new Westmorland and Furness Council Cllr Jama was elected as the Libdem councillor for the new Upper Kent ward in Kendal covering the Burnside and Upper Kent area were he now serves as an independent.
The councils 65 councillors voted to elect Cllr Jama as Deputy Chair of the new shadow Westmorland and Furness Council during 2022 and in 2023 and 2024 he was reappointed as deputy chair at the councils annual meetings.
In the last week changes to Cllr Ali Jama’s political status in the council have taken place with him now serving as an Independent councillor following what has been called by some serving Westmorland and Furness councillors “a falling out over lack of attendance at meetings”.
Cllr Jama was not present at the recent council tax and budget setting meeting of the council on February 27th but has since September 2024 Cllr Jama has been expected at 10 meeting but has attended only 3 meetings one full council in November and 2 south lakes locality board and Planning meetings.
Since the 1st of April 2023 when Westmorland and Furness Council replaced the previous councils Cllr Jama has been expected at 35 meetings but has only attend 13 meeting and was absent from 22 meetings missing approximately 63% of meetings.
It’s understood that Cllr Jama has been spending time out of the country in Kenya with his family were he is originally.
Cllr Jama currently remains as the Deputy Westmorland and Furness Council Chair until the next annual meeting of the council on the 7th May entitled alongside his £13,500 councillor allowance to an additional £2,700 as the Deputy Chair plus expenses.
Westmorland and Furness Council and Cllr Jama have been invited to give comment on the situation.
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