Jenny Palmer

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.

Jennifer Palmer
Palmer in 2016
Member of Lisburn City and Castlereagh District Council
In office 2 May 2019 – 18 May 2023
Preceded by	Rhoda Walker
Succeeded by	Peter Kennedy
Constituency	Lisburn South
In office 22 May 2014 – 5 May 2016
Preceded by	Council created
Succeeded by	Jonathan Craig
Constituency	Lisburn North
Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Lagan Valley
In office 5 May 2016 – 26 January 2017
Preceded by	Jonathan Craig
Member of Lisburn City Council
In office 5 May 2005 – 22 May 2014
Preceded by	Thomas Archer
Succeeded by	Council abolished
Constituency	Lisburn Town South
Personal details
Born	(1959-05-01) May 1, 1959 (age 66) Lisburn, Northern Ireland
Nationality	British
Political party	UUP (2015 - present)
Other political affiliations	DUP (Until 2015)
Spouse	John
Children	3
Alma mater	Forthill Girls High
Profession	Politician

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.