Tory wins by-election after Reform councillor quit

A Conservative has won a county council by-election held after a Reform UK councillor quit having spent just 25 days in the post.

Antony Little, a local headteacher, was elected councillor for the Old Catton division in Norfolk with 973 votes on Friday.

He beat Sue Lawn, standing for Reform, by 412 votes on a day that Norfolk became the first county to elect a Reform UK police and crime commissioner (PCC).

Mark Tucker, who became a county councillor for the party following the local elections in May, vacated his Old Catton seat after less than a month due to ill health.

At the previous election in May, Tucker won by 1,006 votes for Reform UK, with Little 136 votes behind in second place.

There was a turnout of 39.87% in Thursday's voting, down from 47.71% in May when the election was held on the same day that all Norfolk's county council divisions were up for grabs.

The results show a significant change in support among local voters in Old Catton, a suburb on the outskirts of Norwich - with Phoebe Connell of the Green Party this time finishing second, with just 52 fewer votes than Little.

Lawn was third for Reform with 561 votes and Jake Norman fourth for Labour with 147.

Little is principal of Hewett Academy in Norwich and was previously leader of the Tories at Norwich City Council. He stood unsuccessfully to be Norwich South MP in 2005 and 2010.

Reform remains the biggest party at County Hall with 39 councillors, although operates without a majority.

The Lib Dems are the second biggest party with 13 ahead of the Greens with 12 and Little's victory brings the Tories to nine, level with Great Yarmouth First. There is one independent and one Labour councillor.

But Reform has been celebrating a decisive victory, after Colin Sutton became the first Reform PCC to be elected.

It could also be the last, as the role is due to be scrapped in two years as part of plans to devolve powers to Norfolk and Suffolk through the creation of a mayorship.

Full results:

Antony Little, Conservative: 973 (elected)

Phoebe Connell, Green Party: 921

Sue Lawn, Reform UK: 561

Jake Norman, Labour Party: 147

Martin Callam, Liberal Democrats: 100

Hamish Williams, Restore Britain: 98

His Excellency Freeman, Official Monster Raving Loony Party: 13

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