Local Elections 2026: Lib Dem Candidates

The full list of Lib Dem candidates for the Norwich area in both the Norwich City Council and Norfolk County Council elections.

Bowthorpe

Neil Hardman

Catton Grove

Nigel Lubbock

Crome

Philip Jimenez

Eaton Division

Cllr Brian Watkins

Brian has been Eaton’s county councillor for 13 years and is leader of the Liberal Democrat group at County Hall – the official opposition.

Locally, over the past year, Brian has:

Used his local member budget to fund a new pedestrian crossing on Christchurch Road, as it meets Unthank Road.
Used his community fund to supply youngsters with equipment for an extension to the tennis facilities at Eaton Park.
Intervened to get extension of the verge on Ipswich Road after it was left damaged by contractors.

The local election here is a clear choice between the Eaton Lib Dem team who are always available, or another party that only turns up at election time.

Eaton Ward

Cllr Caroline Ackroyd

Caroline Ackroyd has represented Eaton at City Hall for the last 15 years and is eager to continue as part of the Lib Dem team, which includes Cllrs Judith Lubbock and James Wright.

Locally, in the past year, Caroline has:

Requested new recycling bins at Colman Road shops, which have recently been installed.
Reports overgrown hedges which make passage on paths difficult for buggies and wheelchairs, to get them cut back.
Pushed for new humps on the slip road outside the Cellar House to slow traffic to 20mph.
Continued being the guardian of the defibrillator outside Waitrose, ensuring the vital equipment is maintained and ready to use.

The local election here is a clear choice between the Eaton Lib Dem team who are always available, or another party that only turns up at election time.

Lakenham

Carol Chilton

"The direction of my life has always been to help others. I have nursed nearly all of my life, working in hospitals, maternity Units, the community and also as a volunteer for the Quakers in a remote area in Kenya working with traditional birth attendants. Since retiring 18 years ago, I have continued helping others. Since 2016, as a member of the Justice and Peace group, I have run the 'Welcome Rucksack Project' for newly arriving asylum seekers to Norwich. Our team prepare appropriate filled rucksacks for all ages under 18 plus baby layettes and adult rucksacks.

I am very conscious of the need to work for a local community as a Liberal Democrat; to listen to the problems and help to improve the quality of lives for those people who have no voice."

Mancroft

Clara Lynch

Mile Cross

Sean Bennett

Nelson

Marlowe North

Marlowe North is the Lib Dem candidate for Nelson on both city and county levels. Having grown up in Dublin, and then moved to Norwich in 2023 to study history, Marlowe has since embedded into the local community, playing tennis in Eaton Park and singing with the Christ Church choir.

Sewell

Helen Arundell

Helen lives in Norwich, where she is married with 3 adult sons. She retired 2 years ago after a working life which involved banking, retail and working with children in a special needs school. Her hobbies include fitness, travel and going to the theatre.

Thorpe Hamlet

Jeremy Hooke

Town Close

David Fairbairn

“I was a councillor for Lakenham ward almost 20 years ago, after which I took part in regular litter picking on Lakenham Way, until recent years. I have lived in Norwich for many years, and have always been involved with the Liberal Democrats. The boundary of the City Council has been too small for years, and I welcome the extended boundaries of the unified authority, which will bring a greater mix of councillors and opinions to the new Greater Norwich Council.”

https://www.nchlibdems.org.uk/news/article/james-hawketts-lib-dem-candidate-in-university-for-2026

University

James Hawketts

James Hawketts is the Lib Dem candidate for University in both the Norwich City Council and Norfolk County Council elections in 2026. This will be his fourth consecutive local election as candidate here, having cemented himself as the main opposition candidate in Earlham over the past few election cycles, regularly finishing second behind Labour.

A geography teacher here in Norfolk, James has made Earlham his home, living here long-term after graduating from UEA.

See more about James' priorities here.

Wensum

Gordon Dean

“If elected I will stand up for working people. I stand for those who want to get on in life, who work hard and do the right things, not those who would cheat the system: be that state benefits, immigration, or whatever else. As a country we need to stand against Trump and Putin, that means being pro-European and pro-Ukrainian where possible.”