Briston North Norfolk by-election candidates revealed

The vote, in North Norfolk District Council’s Briston ward, will be held early next month. 

Four candidates are standing, with many returning faces on the ballot. 

The Liberal Democrat pick is Andrew Fletcher, who previously stood for the party in the Bacton ward in May. He lost out to the Conservatives by 54 votes. 

Jolanda Stenton, the Conservative candidate, stood in Briston at the last election, coming in second place.  

Jolanda Stenton (centre) quit the Lib Dems to join the Tories (Image: Archant)

Ms Stenton was previously a councillor for Briston between 2019 and 2023.

She was initially elected as a Lib Dem but defected to the Tories in November 2020. 

Labour's Phil Harris has stood for the party several times in the past, including in Wells with Holkham at the May local elections and as MP for North Norfolk where he came third in 2010. 

James Whitehead, of the Green Party, is the only candidate not to have previously stood in the district. 

The by-election will be held on December 7. 

Emma Coleman, Lib Dem councillor for the Briston Ward, resigned from North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) in October due to ill health. 

Emma Coleman resigned from the council in October (Image: North Norfolk District Council)

In a statement, Ms Coleman said: "Sadly I have recently been diagnosed with a serious illness, the prognosis for which is very uncertain.   
  
"I am so grateful to everyone who voted for me to be their representative and I am so sad not to be able to fulfil the role any further.”

Ms Coleman was first elected to NNDC in May.

The Lib Dems now hold 24 of the 40 seats across North Norfolk's 32 wards.  

The Conservatives manage 12 seats and the Independents three.   

Briston has been held by the Lib Dems since 2019 and previously from 2003 to 2015.   

The seat was overseen by the Conservatives between 2015 and 2019.