A former senior boss within the region's NHS and the East Anglian Air Ambulance is standing for a new far-right party in a Norfolk County Council by-election.
Lorna Garner is hoping to win Norwich's Mancroft division at County Hall for the Homeland Party - the first time the organisation has contested a Norfolk seat.
What is the Homeland Party?
The Homeland Party, which describes itself as the country's fastest-growing nationalist party, has attracted controversy.
It was formed as a splinter organisation from the Patriotic Alternative group - which was denied political party status seven times.
Michael Gove (Image: Lucy North / Press Association)
In 2024, when he was communities secretary, Michael Gove described Patriotic Alternative as promoting "Neo-Nazi ideology", although the group said he had made "several misleading claims" about it.
The Homeland Party, which has its headquarters in West Lothian in Scotland, was formed as a result of a split from the Patriotic Alternative group and successfully registered as a political party with the Electoral Commission in 2024.
One of the party's key policies is "remigration", which the party describes as the return of "illegal, unintegrated, and unwelcome migrants" to their origin countries.
Its leader, Kenny Smith, is a former member of the British National Party.
Who is Lorna Garner?
Ms Garner is the Homeland Party's first candidate in Norfolk, standing in the Mancroft division where the by-election was triggered by the resignation of Green Jamie Osborn.
Jamie Osborn (Image: Denise Bradley, Newsquest)
She was chief operating officer of the Norwich-based eating disorders charity Beat from 2014 to 2016, having been director of corporate services at the East Anglian Air Ambulance for just over a year between 2013 and 2014.
Before that, she spent seven years, from 2005 to 2012, as director of the Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Critical Care Network - leading the strategic direction and quality of care delivery for critically ill patients across the three counties.
From 2003 until 2005 she was the chief executive officer of the Academy Trust, set up to deliver the Garage arts venue in Norwich.
The Garage in Norwich (Image: Newsquest)
Before that, she spent two years as the operations manager of the NELM Development Trust - a government-funded organisation which was set up to improve the quality of life in Norwich's North Earlham, Larkman and Marlpit areas.
This newspaper contacted the Homeland Party asking to speak to Ms Garner, but the party did not respond.
In her election leaflet, Ms Garner, who has served as a town councillor in Aylsham, makes no reference to her party's "remigration" policy.
She states in that leaflet: "I am standing with the Homeland Party because it reflects my values of family, community and homeland and because it's the only party that genuinely cares about people."
Norfolk County Council's County Hall headquarters (Image: Mike Page)
Who else is standing?
The other candidates in the Norfolk County Council Mancroft by-election are: Karl Catchpole (Reform UK), Gordon Dean (Liberal Democrats), Josh Horsfall (Labour), Edith Jones (Conservatives) and Serene Shibli (Green).
Polls are open from 7am until 10pm on Thursday (May 1).
The current political make-up at Conservative-controlled Norfolk County Council is 53 Conservative, 11 Liberal Democrat Alliance (10 Liberal Democrats and one aligned independent, nine Labour, three Green, three non-aligned independents and two independents.
Share