Ian Stutely has been accused of throwing a strop and boycotting activist duties after Karen Davis was replaced by Alice Macdonald as the party's candidate for Norwich North.

The city councillor was deselected in 2023 in an internal row which split the party and caused major ructions at City Hall, costing Labour its overall majority on the council.

But the precise reasons have long been shrouded in mystery.

Now, however, leaked Labour documents have laid bare the extraordinary internal wranglings and rivalries which led to Mr Stutely being deselected.

The row, which shines a light on the fractious nature of City Hall politics, has flared up again after Mr Stutely announced he had joined the Green Party and would stand for election again at a Norwich by-election next month.

He claims the investigation was "petty and misleading" and says he is now the victim of a smear campaign.

Ian Stutely (Image: Labour Party) LABOUR RIVALRIES

Mr Stutely and Ms Davis, both on the left of the party, were both Labour councillors for the Town Close ward.

When left-winger Jeremy Corbyn was Labour leader, Ms Davis was selected to contest the Norwich North seat at the General Election in 2019.

However, she lost to Tory Chloe Smith.

Karen Davis, who sits as an independent at Norwich City Council (Image: Archant) In 2022 - by which time the more moderate Sir Keir Starmer was Labour leader - Alice Macdonald, a councillor from London, was chosen to contest the seat at the next election. She was elected last year.

Her selection infuriated Ms Davis and Mr Stutely, who believed a local candidate should have been chosen.

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© Norwich Evening News