Full Norwich City Council by-election results
There was success for Labour and the Greens but disappointment for Reform
One vote stood between Reform and its first seat at City Hall in a gut-wrenching night for the party.
Richard Lawes, the Labour candidate, was elected by the tiniest margin over Reform’s Nick Taylor in the Norwich City Council by-elections on Thursday night.
Despite seeing a vast improvement from its share of the vote last May, Reform failed to secure any of the seats up for grabs in Bowthorpe, Mancroft and Sewell wards.
It was a much better night for the Green Party, which managed to hold on to two of its seats with a comfortable majority of the vote.
Their successful candidate in Mancroft ward, Ian Stutely, is a former Labour councillor and will be a familiar face for many at City Hall.
The councillor was deselected in 2023 in an internal row which split the party and caused major ructions, costing Labour its overall majority on the council.
He was elected for the Greens with 1,087 votes, comfortably clear of Reform’s Craig Barker coming in second with 381 votes.
Mr Stutely takes on the seat previously held by Green councillor Jamie Osborn, who quit his roles at both City Hall and Norfolk County Council, citing family reasons.
Jenny Knight was elected for the Greens in Sewell ward with 1,280 votes, while Labour’s Paul Guille came in second place with 525 votes.
The seat was previously held by Green councillor Gillian Francis, who stepped down due to health reasons.
Labour’s Richard Lawes was elected in Bowthorpe with 689 votes, while Reform’s Nick Taylor received 688.
The by-election was triggered after Dr Peter Prinsley, a former Labour councillor in Bowthorpe, resigned to focus on his role as MP in Suffolk.
While Reform will be disappointed with their loss, they had better luck in the County Hall by-election, where David Bick won the party’s first seat on the council in Thetford West.
FULL RESULTS
BOWTHORPE
Sean Bennett (LD) 102
RICHARD LAWES (L) 689 (elected)
Anthony Little (C) 281
Tony Park (G) 430
Nick Taylor (R) 688
MANCROFT
Craig Barker (R) 381
Gordon Dean (LD) 105
George Heaney (L) 312
Edith Jones (C) 106
IAN STUTELY (G) 1,087 (elected)
SEWELL
Valerie Brind (R) 367
His Excellency Freeman (Ind) 13
Paul Guille (L) 525
Simon Jones (C) 85
JENNY KNIGHT (G) 1,280 (elected)
Marlowe North (LD) 99