How a local councillor unseated a former prime minister with a crowdfunding campaign
In short: Terry Jermy, a British politician and magazine editor, achieved one of the most surprising electoral victories of 2024. Despite receiving minimal backing from his national party, he successfully unseated a former prime minister in South West Norfolk, securing his place in Parliament through a grassroots, crowdfunded campaign effort.
Born in Thetford in 1985, Terry Jermy built a long career in local government before reaching the national stage. His political journey began in 2008 when he won a seat on the Thetford Town Council. Over the following decade and a half, he served across multiple tiers of local administration, including the Breckland District Council and the Norfolk County Council. During this period, he also became the first openly gay mayor of Thetford in 2016. His path to Westminster was deeply personal; he decided to pursue a parliamentary seat following the death of his father, Trevor, in early 2023.
The 2024 general election presented a formidable challenge. Running in South West Norfolk, Jermy faced Liz Truss, a former prime minister who had held the constituency since 2010. With limited support from the national Labour Party, Jermy relied on a £15,000 crowdfunding effort to finance his local campaign. The result was historic: he defeated the incumbent with a majority of 630 votes. His victory was notable for securing the lowest winning vote share of the entire election at 26.7%, a feat described by The Spectator as the defining upset of the cycle.
This win marked the first time a Labour representative had held the seat since Albert Hilton, who lost the constituency in 1964. Following his election to Parliament in July 2024, Jermy continued his local service for several months before stepping down from his county and district council roles in early 2025. He maintains his position as a town councillor and continues to own the magazine he acquired in 2014. His trajectory from local council chambers to the national legislature highlights the unpredictable nature of constituency-level politics in the modern era.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Terry Jermy
- Also: members.parliament.uk — Contact information for Terry Jermy - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament
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