Who are the 2024 Norwich City Council election candidates?

The upcoming election will see 13 of Norwich City Council's seats up for grabs - one in each three-member ward. 

The Labour Party, the largest group on the council, is set for a nail-biting few weeks after losing its overall majority amid a string of resignations in November. 

Its members will stand against those from Reform UK and the Communist Party of Britain, which has not had a candidate in the election since 1980. 

Ben Clarke, a member of the party, is hoping to be elected in Nelson ward, a seat currently held by Green councillor Lucy Galvin. She will also bid for re-election.

Tensions are already growing between Labour and the Green Party, the second biggest group on the council. 

A formal complaint was lodged with the returning officer, who is responsible for overseeing the election, after member for Crome, Claire Kidman, spotted an image of herself in Charlie Caine's campaign leaflet for the Mile Cross ward.

Despite the obscure appearance and context, she claims her appearance on the leaflet could lead voters to think she is endorsing Mr Caine in the election.

Claire Kidman with the campaign leaflet (Image: Claire Kidman)Mr Caine, a Green Party member and musician, will stand against Liberal Democrat's Neil Hardman, Labour's Jasper Haywood, Conservative's Edita Szabo, Independent candidate Matty Watson and Reform UK's Stephen Bailey. 

While some councils, like West Norfolk, have many independent members, City Hall hasn’t returned one in at least 20 years. Three independents are standing for election this year. 

This includes Ian Stutely, candidate for Town Close, who was one of six Labour councillors to resign from the party amid a row at City Hall in November. The argument had its roots in a decision by the local party to stop Mr Stutely from standing in the elections. 

His Labour colleagues in the Town Close area of the city refused to select another candidate, forcing Labour's National Executive Committee (NEC) in London to impose its own. This is understood to be a key factor behind the resignations that followed. 

Ian Stutely (Image: Labour Party)Council leader Mike Stonard is among senior Labour cabinet members on the ballot in May.

Mr Stonard is expected to comfortably hold onto his Catton Grove seat, an area which once faced competition from the Conservatives but was comfortably Labour last year.

READ MORE: Council leader says she will not resign amid Western Link uncertainty

Council leader Mike Stonard (Image: Denise Bradley)Who are the Norwich City Council election candidates?

Bowthorpe: Sean Bennett (Lib Dem), Rebeka Jones (Conservative), Sue Sands (Labour), Oliver Springate-Baginski (Green)

Catton Grove: Simon Jones (Conservative), Tony Park (Green), Mike Stonard (Labour), Ian Williams (Lib Dem)

Crome: Adam Giles (Labour), Tod James (Conservative), James Killbery (Green), Nigel Lubbock (Lib Dem), Nick Taylor (Reform UK)

Eaton: Iain Gwynn (Conservative), George Heaney (Labour), Jane Saunders (Green), James Wright (Lib Dem)

Lakenham: Nicola Aldous (Independent), Carol Chilton (Lib Dem), Ell Folan (Green), Robert Hammond (Conservative), Carli Harper (Labour)

Mancroft: Jane Fisher (Conservative), Stuart McLaren (Labour), Martin Schmierer (Green), Alan Wright (Lib Dem)

Mile Cross: Stephen Bailey (Reform UK), Charlie Caine (Green), Neil Hardman (Lib Dem), Jasper Haywood (Labour), Edita Szabo (Conservative), Matty Watson (Independent)

Nelson: Ben Clarke (Communist Party), John Fisher (Conservative), Lucy Galvin (Green), Michael Howard (Labour), Philip Jimenez (Lib Dem)

Sewell: Helen Arundell (Lib Dem), Gary Champion (Green), Georgi Dimitrov (Conservative), Paul Guille (Labour), Carl Hicks (Reform UK)

Thorpe Hamlet: Alice Burt (Conservative), Ash Haynes (Green), Jeremy Hooke (Lib Dem), Jane Overhill (Labour)

Town Close: Mary Chacksfield (Conservative), David Fairbairn (Lib Dem), Chris Smith (Labour), Ian Stutely (Independent)

University: Cody Butler (Conservative), Sean Gough (Green), Emma Hampton (Labour), James Hawketts (Lib Dem)

Wensum: Toby Bolton (Green), Gordon Dean (Lib Dem), Eric Masters (Reform UK), Martin Peek (Labour), John Ward (Conservative)

City Hall is currently made up 19 Labour members, 13 Green, four Independents and three Liberal Democrats. 

The election will be held on May 2.