Council by-elections in May after Green Jamie Osborn quits

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A Green councillor has triggered another Norfolk County Council by-election after resigning - the third councillor to quit in recent days.

Jamie Osborn, who represents Norwich's Mancroft division at County Hall has also resigned from Norwich City Council.

Jamie OsbornJamie Osborn (Image: Denise Bradley, Newsquest)

Mr Osborn, who came second to Labour's Clive Lewis in the 2024 Norwich South general election, said he had been intending to stand down in May, when Norfolk County Council's elections had been due.

With those elections controversially postponed, due to the drive for local government reorganisation, he had felt compelled to resign now, to focus on his family.

He said: "It has been an enormous honour to represent Norwich's Mancroft ward for the last six years, working to make the city a fairer, cleaner, safer and more pleasant place to live.

"From campaigning for Norwich City Council to buy Anglia Square and provide affordable housing, to pushing Norfolk County Council to drop its disastrous plans for the Norwich Western Link, as well as tackling local issues like flytipping, I'm proud to have a record of getting things done.

"The Green Party has a well-earned reputation in Norwich for being very active and championing people's daily concerns, and I know that my Green colleagues and successors will continue to represent Mancroft residents to the best of their ability."

Norfolk County Council's County Hall headquartersNorfolk County Council's County Hall headquarters (Image: Mike Page)

Mr Osborn has been a city councillor since 2019 and a county councillor since 2021.

Three months before he won his city council seat, Mr Osborn was among members of Extinction Rebellion who staged a four-hour protest in Norfolk County Council's chamber, which delayed the setting of County Hall's budget.

The by-election for Mr Osborn's division is likely to be held on May 1, coinciding with ones in Thetford West and Marshland North.

Terry JermyTerry Jermy (Image: UK Parliament)

Thetford West is up for grabs after Labour's Terry Jermy resigned to focus on his role as South West Norfolk MP, while former Conservative Julian Kirk stepped down in Marshland North, having joined Reform UK.

Julian KirkJulian Kirk (Image: Julian Kirk)

Mr Kirk has signalled he will fight to regain the seat for his new party.

The resignations mean the Conservatives have 53 seats at County Hall, the Liberal Democrat Alliance has 10, Labour has nine, the Greens have three, the Independent group has two, while there are three non-aligned independents.

The Mancroft by-elections come at a time when the Greens in Norwich are still facing the fall-out from a row over the conduct of Charlie Caine.

The councillor for Mile Cross has been accused of shouting "Nazis" at a group of women holding a silent vigil for women and children in Afghanistan.

Police dropped the case without charges but said "words of advice" had been given, while a council probe ruled there had been no breach of the code of conduct because the councillor was not on official business at the time.

This decision has been criticised - including by a member of the council's own standards committee - while the party itself is declining to comment on the row.

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