2021 Newcastle City Council election

2021 Newcastle City Council election
6 May 2021
28 out of 78 seats to Newcastle City Council
40 seats needed for a majority
Turnout38.6%
  First party Second party
 
Leader Nick Forbes Nick Cott
Party Labour Liberal Democrats
Leader's seat Arthur's Hill Fawdon & West Gosforth
Last election 54 seats, 38.4% 20 seats, 23.3%
Seats before 50 20
Seats won 18 6
Seats after 52 20
Seat change Decrease 2 Steady
Popular vote 31,471 15,673
Percentage 39.2% 19.5%
Swing Increase 0.8% Decrease 3.8%
  Third party Fourth party
 
Leader N/A Jason Smith
Party Independent Newcastle Ind.
Last election 3 seats, 6.2% 1 seat, 5.1%
Seats before 2 1
Seats won 2 2
Seats after 3 3
Seat change Steady Increase2
Popular vote 5,628 5,498
Percentage 7.0% 6.8%
Swing Increase 0.8% Increase 1.7%
Winner of each seat at the 2021 Newcastle City Council election
Council control before election

Nick Forbes
Labour

 Council control after election

Nick Forbes
Labour

The 2021 Newcastle City Council election took place on 6 May 2021 to elect members of Newcastle City Council in England. This was on the same day as other local elections across the United Kingdom.[1]

Twenty-eight seats were contested: the 26 seats forming the ordinary election, plus casual vacancies in Byker and Chapel.[2] The additional Byker seat followed the death of Labour councillor George Allison in March 2020,[3] while the additional Chapel seat followed the resignation of independent councillor Sandra Davison in March 2021.[4] Both vacancies were contested as part of the ordinary election poll rather than in separate standalone by-elections.

In the previous council election in 2019, the Labour Party maintained its control of the council, holding 54 seats after the election. There were twenty Liberal Democrat councillors, three independent councillors and one Newcastle Independent councillor.

Background

History

The Local Government Act 1972 created a two-tier system of metropolitan counties and districts covering Greater Manchester, Merseyside, South Yorkshire, Tyne and Wear, the West Midlands, and West Yorkshire starting in 1974. Newcastle was a district of the Tyne and Wear metropolitan county.[5] The Local Government Act 1985 abolished the metropolitan counties, with metropolitan districts taking on most of their powers as metropolitan boroughs. The North of Tyne Combined Authority was created in 2018 and began electing the mayor of the North of Tyne from 2019, which was given strategic powers covering a region covering some of the same area as the former Tyne and Wear metropolitan county, as well as Northumberland.[6]

Since its creation, Newcastle has variously been under Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservative control. The Liberal Democrats held a majority of seats on the council from 2004 until 2011, when Labour gained enough seats to control the council. Nick Forbes became leader of the council. Labour continued to gain seats until the 2019 election, when the party lost two seats but continued to have an overall majority.

The Local Government Boundary Commission for England produced new boundaries for Newcastle ahead of the 2018 election, meaning that the 2018 elections were all-out, with all councillors being elected before returning to electing by thirds. Candidates up for re-election in 2021 were those who came second in each ward in 2018.

Results summary

2021 Newcastle City Council election[1]
Party This election Full council This election
Candidates Seats Net Seats % Other Total Total % Votes Votes % +/−
  Labour {{{candidates}}} 18 Decrease 2 64.3 34 52 66.7 31,471 39.2 +0.8
  Liberal Democrats {{{candidates}}} 6 Steady 21.4 14 20 25.6 15,673 19.5 -3.8
  Independent {{{candidates}}} 2 Steady 7.1 1 3 3.8 5,628 7.0 +0.8
  Newcastle Ind. {{{candidates}}} 2 Increase 2 7.1 1 3 3.8 5,498 6.8 +1.7
  Conservative {{{candidates}}} 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 14,164 17.6 +5.7
  Green {{{candidates}}} 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 7,323 9.1 +0.2
  Reform {{{candidates}}} 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 232 0.3 New
  For Britain {{{candidates}}} 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 129 0.2 New
  Communist {{{candidates}}} 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 99 0.1 +0.1
  TUSC {{{candidates}}} 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 85 0.1 New
  North East {{{candidates}}} 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 72 0.1 -0.3

Ward results

Arthur's Hill

Arthur's Hill[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Stephen Powers 1,031 67.6 −2.4
Conservative Maggie Birkmyre 188 12.3 +4.9
Green Shehla Naqvi 123 8.1 −1.8
Newcastle Ind. Joseph Eldridge 110 7.2 −0.2
Liberal Democrats Tahir Siddique 58 3.8 −0.3
TUSC Daniel Gilmore 16 1.0 New
Majority 843 55.2
Turnout 1,526 27.5
Registered electors 5,541
Labour hold Swing

Benwell and Scotswood

Benwell and Scotswood[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Rob Higgins 1,799 57.7 +7.2
Conservative Connor Shotton 837 26.9 +17.7
Newcastle Ind. John Gordon 259 8.3 −4.5
Green Tony Roberts 117 3.8 −1.2
Liberal Democrats Hans Andersen 104 3.3 −1.9
Majority 962 30.9
Turnout 3,116 38.5
Registered electors 8,101
Labour hold Swing

Blakelaw

Blakelaw[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Marion Williams 1,051 48.8 −2.2
Newcastle Ind. Annie Hunter 474 22.0 New
Conservative Liam Kinchley 420 19.5 +10.1
Green Alistair Ford 130 6.0 −0.3
Liberal Democrats Hamed Aghajani 78 3.6 −8.7
Majority 577 26.8
Turnout 2,153 31.0
Registered electors 6,939
Labour hold Swing

Byker

Byker (2 seats)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Veronica Dunn 1,175 59.4 +4.7
Labour Stephen Sheraton 1,170 59.2 +4.5
Conservative John Watts 450 22.8 +17.7
Conservative Richard Tulip 406 20.5 +15.4
Green Nick Hartley 297 15.0 +5.4
Green Phillip James 264 13.4 +3.8
Liberal Democrats Stephen Psallidas 107 5.4 +1.3
Liberal Democrats Richard Schofield 86 4.4 +0.3
Majority 720 36.4
Turnout 1,977 28.3
Registered electors 6,983
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing

Two seats were contested in Byker: the seat due for election in the ordinary cycle and the casual vacancy caused by the death of Labour councillor George Allison in March 2020.[3]

Callerton and Throckley

Callerton and Throckley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Linda Wright 1,292 43.8 +14.5
Newcastle Ind. Adam Mitchell 667 22.6 −11.5
Conservative John Dobie 561 19.0 +3.4
Green Idwal John 322 10.9 −0.8
Liberal Democrats Aleisha Stansfield 108 3.7 −8.0
Majority 625 21.2
Turnout 2,950 39.3
Registered electors 7,508
Labour hold Swing

Castle

Castle[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Helen Laverick 1,522 41.1 +7.0
Labour Andrew Herridge 1,026 27.7 −2.0
Conservative Elizabeth Yewdall 731 19.7 +7.3
Independent Rachel Locke 230 6.2 −1.3
Green Andrew Thorp 197 5.3 −0.6
Majority 496 13.4
Turnout 3,706 37.6
Registered electors 9,862
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Chapel

Chapel (2 seats)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Lawrence Hunter 2,631 70.0 +5.1
Independent Graham Middleton 2,566 68.2 +3.4
Conservative Andrew Burnett 615 16.4 +8.0
Labour Jamie Dickinson 555 14.8 +1.0
Labour Sam Grist 441 11.7 −2.1
Conservative Ian Forster 439 11.7 +3.3
Green James Milne 107 2.8 New
Liberal Democrats Judith Steen 83 2.2 +0.3
Liberal Democrats David Partington 82 2.2 +0.3
Majority 1,951 51.9
Turnout 3,760 50.2
Registered electors 7,483
Independent hold
Independent hold

Two seats were contested in Chapel: the seat due for election in the ordinary cycle and the casual vacancy caused by the resignation of independent councillor Sandra Davison in March 2021.[4]

Dene and South Gosforth

Dene and South Gosforth[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Karen Robinson 1,777 45.1 +0.2
Labour Nick Arnold 1,177 29.9 +1.9
Green Anna Foster 509 12.9 −0.7
Conservative Gerry Langley 475 12.1 +4.5
Majority 600 15.2
Turnout 3,938 52.0
Registered electors 7,568
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Denton and Westerhope

Denton and Westerhope[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Newcastle Ind. Tracey Mitchell 1,493 46.5 +14.4
Labour Arlene Ainsley 1,075 33.4 −3.0
Conservative Simon Bell 498 15.5 +8.8
Liberal Democrats Elizabeth Dicken 75 2.3 −0.7
Green Tom Registe 73 2.3 New
Majority 418 13.0
Turnout 3,214 36.9
Registered electors 8,709
Newcastle Ind. gain from Labour Swing

Elswick

Elswick[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Nicu Ion 1,599 66.0 −6.0
Conservative Saamiya Malik 436 18.0 +8.6
Green Peter Thomson 234 9.7 −1.6
Liberal Democrats David Faulkner 153 6.3 −1.0
Majority 1,163 48.0
Turnout 2,422 32.1
Registered electors 7,543
Labour hold Swing

Fawdon and West Gosforth

Fawdon and West Gosforth[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Nick Cott 1,648 49.6 −8.7
Labour Gordana Vasic Franklin 856 25.8 +3.4
Conservative Stephen Axford 608 18.3 +8.7
Green Roger Whittaker 211 6.3 −3.5
Majority 792 23.8
Turnout 3,323 44.9
Registered electors 7,401
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Gosforth

Gosforth[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Phil Hall 1,473 34.5 −6.2
Conservative Anandavardhan Anand 1,150 26.9 +0.6
Labour Isra Mohammed 1,016 23.8 +3.9
Green Frances Hinton 434 10.2 −2.9
Independent James Sheerin 201 4.7 New
Majority 323 7.6
Turnout 4,274 54.8
Registered electors 7,804
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Heaton

Heaton[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Clare Penny-Evans 1,592 49.1 +2.8
Green Andrew Gray 658 20.3 −7.4
Liberal Democrats Fiona Punchard 602 18.6 +0.9
Conservative Hamish John 294 9.1 +0.8
Communist Steve Handford 99 3.1 New
Majority 934 28.8
Turnout 3,245 41.6
Registered electors 7,807
Labour hold Swing

Kenton

Kenton[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Stephen Lambert 1,461 53.1 +4.6
Conservative Alison Wake 595 21.6 +4.8
Liberal Democrats Robert Austin 403 14.7 −9.6
Green Joanna Jenkinson 221 8.0 New
TUSC Oisin Gourley 69 2.5 −7.9
Majority 866 31.5
Turnout 2,749 36.8
Registered electors 7,480
Labour hold Swing

Kingston Park South and Newbiggin Hall

Kingston Park South and Newbiggin Hall[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Alexander Hay 1,239 49.8 −6.4
Conservative Leanne Conway-Wilcox 815 32.7 +3.4
Newcastle Ind. Rochelle Monte 217 8.7 New
Liberal Democrats Colin Steen 121 4.9 −9.6
Green Mark Copsey 98 3.9 New
Majority 424 17.0
Turnout 2,490 34.8
Registered electors 7,152
Labour hold Swing

Lemington

Lemington[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Newcastle Ind. Jason Smith 1,442 48.5 +11.3
Labour Lu Thompson 997 33.5 −8.1
Conservative Alexis Fernandes 400 13.4 +2.9
Green Jess Maiden 79 2.7 −2.7
Liberal Democrats Robert Petrie 56 1.9 −3.4
Majority 445 15.0
Turnout 2,974 41.0
Registered electors 7,259
Newcastle Ind. gain from Labour Swing

Manor Park

Manor Park[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Greg Stone 1,849 53.7 −3.3
Labour Co-op Stephen Stanners 860 25.0 −8.0
Conservative Stephen Dawes 411 11.9 +1.9
Green Mike Rabley 274 8.0 New
Reform Barry Fowler 52 1.5 New
Majority 989 28.7
Turnout 3,446 47.5
Registered electors 7,254
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Monument

Monument[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Shumel Rahman 802 55.3 +17.9
Conservative William Hayes 275 19.0 +5.3
Green Dana Abi Ghanem 243 16.8 −11.8
Liberal Democrats Thom Campion 129 8.9 −9.0
Majority 527 36.4
Turnout 1,449 24.2
Registered electors 5,985
Labour hold Swing

North Jesmond

North Jesmond[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tanya Prestwell 850 38.4 +10.0
Liberal Democrats Deborah Burns 800 36.1 −14.0
Green Robert Taylor 319 14.4 +1.3
Conservative Melissa-Jane Pearson 245 11.1 +2.7
Majority 50 2.3
Turnout 2,214 35.0
Registered electors 6,325
Labour hold Swing

Ouseburn

Ouseburn[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Alistair Chisholm 952 44.1 +6.5
Liberal Democrats Stephen Howse 899 41.6 −8.1
Green Daryl Hughes 216 10.0 +0.5
Conservative Alexander Wang-Evans 92 4.3 +1.1
Majority 53 2.5
Turnout 2,159 31.7
Registered electors 6,802
Labour hold Swing

Parklands

Parklands[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Pauline Allen 1,927 41.9 +3.0
Conservative Stephen Yewdall 848 18.4 −0.3
Labour Abdul Samad 725 15.8 −0.2
Newcastle Ind. John Hall 663 14.4 +2.0
Green Audrey Macnaughton 439 9.5 +1.1
Majority 1,079 23.4
Turnout 4,602 51.0
Registered electors 9,025
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

South Jesmond

South Jesmond[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Charlie Gray 1,062 49.2 +12.3
Conservative Olly Scargill 393 18.2 +2.6
Green Tim Downson 344 15.9 −10.7
Liberal Democrats Tom Appleby 252 11.7 −7.9
North East Brian Moore 72 3.3 New
Reform Martin Evison 36 1.7 New
Majority 669 31.0
Turnout 2,159 33.5
Registered electors 6,443
Labour hold Swing

Walker

Walker[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Wood 1,461 66.0 +12.5
Conservative Marie Marron 504 22.8 +15.4
Green Rakesh Prashara 90 4.1 New
Liberal Democrats William Shepherd 81 3.7 −3.4
For Britain Tim Marron 77 3.5 New
Majority 957 43.2
Turnout 2,213 30.6
Registered electors 7,223
Labour hold Swing

Walkergate

Walkergate[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Maureen Lowson 1,608 51.7 +7.4
Conservative Stephen Oxborough 673 21.7 +12.2
Liberal Democrats Deborah Gallagher 470 15.1 +0.1
Green Jess Hamer 161 5.2 −1.1
Reform Michael Harrigan 144 4.6 New
For Britain Sharon Young 52 1.7 New
Majority 935 30.1
Turnout 3,108 36.7
Registered electors 8,477
Labour hold Swing

West Fenham

West Fenham[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Ian Tokell 947 34.2 −9.9
Green Tay Pitman 647 23.3 +12.1
Liberal Democrats PJ Morrissey 587 21.2 +15.5
Conservative Kenneth Wake 419 15.1 +5.1
Newcastle Ind. Sarah Armstrong 173 6.2 −1.8
Majority 300 10.8
Turnout 2,773 37.9
Registered electors 7,316
Labour hold Swing

Wingrove

Wingrove[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Irim Ali 1,652 61.3 +5.3
Green John Pearson 516 19.1 +5.9
Conservative Shabs Mohammed 386 14.3 +4.2
Liberal Democrats Kami Kundi 143 5.3 −6.5
Majority 1,136 42.1
Turnout 2,697 36.1
Registered electors 7,472
Labour hold Swing

Changes 2021–2022

  • Following the election, Nick Forbes defeated a leadership challenge from Nick Kemp by 30 votes to 22 and remained leader of the Labour group. Karen Kilgour defeated Joyce McCarty by 28 votes to 24 to become deputy leader.[7]
  • In March 2022, Kemp was elected Labour group leader after Forbes was not reselected as a candidate for the 2022 election. Forbes remained leader of the council until after the election.[8][9]
  • Later in March 2022, Labour councillor Jeremy Beecham retired as a councillor for Benwell and Scotswood after 55 years on the council.[10]
  • Labour councillor Oskar Avery also resigned his Blakelaw seat in March 2022. He subsequently stood unsuccessfully in Chapel at the 2022 election.[11]
  • At the end of March 2022, Labour councillor Joyce McCarty (Wingrove) was suspended by the party pending an investigation. Because her nomination papers had already been submitted, she remained listed as a Labour candidate at the 2022 election.[12]

By-election

Castle

Castle by-election, 9 September 2021[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Thom Campion 1,306 42.5 +1.4
Labour Andrew Herridge 773 25.1 −2.6
Conservative John Watts 657 21.4 +1.7
Green Andrew Thorp 250 8.1 +2.8
North East Brian Moore 89 2.9 New
Majority 533 17.4
Turnout 3,075 31.1
Liberal Democrats hold Swing +2.0

The by-election was triggered by the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Anita Lower in July 2021.[13]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 "Local Elections 2021". Newcastle City Council. 6 May 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
  2. ↑ "Local election results 2021". Newcastle City Council. 7 May 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
  3. 1 2 "Tributes paid to popular councillor". Newcastle City Council. 6 March 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Councillor resigns". Newcastle City Council. 4 March 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
  5. ↑ Local Government in England and Wales: A Guide to the New System. London: HMSO. 1974. p. 7. ISBN 0-11-750847-0.
  6. ↑ Walker, Jonathan (2 November 2018). "It's official: New North of Tyne Combined Authority is launched". ChronicleLive. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  7. ↑ Holland, Daniel (10 May 2021). "Nick Forbes survives Newcastle Labour leadership challenge after bruising battle". Evening Chronicle. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
  8. ↑ "Newcastle Council leader Nick Forbes confirms exit after seat deselection". BBC News. 21 February 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
  9. ↑ Holland, Daniel (14 March 2022). "Nick Kemp wins race to succeed Nick Forbes as Newcastle Labour leader". Evening Chronicle. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
  10. ↑ "Lord Beecham resigns from city council". Newcastle City Council. 17 March 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
  11. ↑ Holland, Daniel (10 May 2022). "North East's most popular councillor reveals secret of his success – after winning more than 85% of vote". Evening Chronicle. Retrieved 22 July 2026 – via Inkl.
  12. ↑ Holland, Daniel (6 May 2022). "Newcastle councillor suspended over 'Muslim plot' allegations wins re-election in landslide". Evening Chronicle. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
  13. 1 2 "Castle ward by-election result". Newcastle City Council. 9 September 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
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