Jenny Palmer Explained

Jennifer Palmer
Office:Member of Lisburn City and Castlereagh District Council
Constituency:Lisburn South
Term Start:2 May 2019
Term End:18 May 2023
Predecessor:Rhoda Walker
Successor:Peter Kennedy
Constituency1:Lisburn North
Term Start1:22 May 2014
Term End1:5 May 2016
Predecessor1:Council created
Successor1:Jonathan Craig
Constituency Am2:Lagan Valley
Assembly2:Northern Ireland
Term Start2:5 May 2016
Term End2:26 January 2017
Predecessor2:Jonathan Craig
Office3:Member of Lisburn City Council
Constituency3:Lisburn Town South
Term Start3:5 May 2005
Term End3:22 May 2014
Predecessor3:Thomas Archer
Successor3:Council abolished
Birth Date:1 May 1959
Nationality:British
Party:UUP (2015 - present)
Otherparty:DUP (Until 2015)
Spouse:John
Children:3
Alma Mater:Forthill Girls High
Profession:Politician

Jennifer 'Jenny' Palmer (born 1 May 1959) is an Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) politician who served as a Lisburn and Castlereagh Councillor for the Lisburn South DEA from 2019 to 2023.

Palmer was a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for Lagan Valley from 2016 to 2017.

Formerly a member of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Palmer left the party in 2015, during the Red Sky scandal.

Career

As a DUP politician, Palmer was first elected to Lisburn City Council in 2005, representing the Lisburn Town South District, and was later re-elected in 2011.

At the 2014 local elections, she was elected onto the successor Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council as one of three DUP representatives for the Lisburn North District.

Following the Red Sky scandal, Palmer resigned from the DUP in 2015, and joined the Ulster Unionist Party.

At the 2016 Northern Ireland Assembly election, she was elected to represent Lagan Valley as one of two UUP members. Palmer lost her seat to Pat Catney of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) at the 2017 Assembly election.

She returned to Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council in the 2019 local elections, this time for the Lisburn South DEA. Palmer was defeated at the 2023 local elections, losing her seat to Peter Kennedy of the Alliance Party.

References

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

Notes and References

  1. News: DUP councillor Jenny Palmer 'summoned to disciplinary hearing' - BBC News . BBC News . 6 March 2015 . 2017-07-13.
  2. News: DUP is divided by plans to discipline whistleblower Jenny Palmer . Belfasttelegraph . 2017-07-13.
  3. News: Jenny Palmer: Former DUP councillor joins Ulster Unionist Party - BBC News . BBC News . 3 September 2015 . 2017-07-13.
  4. News: DUP's Jenny Palmer at centre of bullying claim resigns - BBC News . BBC News . 19 May 2015 . 2017-07-13.
  5. News: Lagan Valley: Jenny Palmer takes seat as an Ulster Unionist . Belfasttelegraph . 2017-07-13.
  6. News: Jenny Palmer secures UUP seat in Lagan Valley at expense of DUP . . 2017-07-13.