2022 Newcastle City Council election explained

Election Name:2022 Newcastle City Council election
Country:Tyne and Wear
Type:parliamentary
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:2021 Newcastle City Council election
Previous Year:2021
Next Election:2023 Newcastle City Council election
Next Year:2023
Seats For Election:26 out of 78 seats to Newcastle City Council
Majority Seats:40
Election Date:5 May 2022
Leader1:Nick Kemp
Party1:Labour Party (UK)
Last Election1:52 seats, 39.2%
Seats Before1:50
Seats1:19
Seats After1:51
Seat Change1: 1
Popular Vote1:31,265
Percentage1:44.2%
Swing1: 5.0%
Leader2:Nick Cott
Party2:Liberal Democrats (UK)
Last Election2:20 seats, 19.5%
Seats Before2:20
Seats2:7
Seats After2:21
Seat Change2: 1
Popular Vote2:16,556
Percentage2:23.4%
Swing2: 3.9%
Leader4:N/A
Party4:Independent politician
Last Election4:3 seats, 7.0%
Seats Before4:3
Seats4:1
Seats After4:3
Popular Vote4:3,434
Percentage4:4.9%
Swing4: 2.1%
Leader5:Jason Smith
Party5:Newcastle Independents
Last Election5:3 seats, 6.8%
Seats Before5:3
Seats5:0
Seats After5:3
Popular Vote5:4,062
Percentage5:5.7%
Swing5: 1.1%
Map Size:400px
Council control
Posttitle:Council control after election
Before Election:Nick Forbes
Before Party:Labour Party (UK)
After Election:Nick Kemp
After Party:Labour Party (UK)
Leaders Seat1:Byker
Leaders Seat2:Fawdon & West Gosforth

The 2022 Newcastle City Council election took place on 5 May 2022. One third of councillors — 26 out of 78 — on Newcastle City Council were elected. The election took place alongside other local elections across the United Kingdom.

In the previous council election in 2021, the Labour Party maintained its control of the council, holding 52 seats after the election. There were twenty Liberal Democrat councillors, four independent councillors and two Newcastle Independents.

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.[1] 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.[2]

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. In the 2021 Newcastle City Council election, Labour lost another two seats to hold 52, having won 18 of the 28 up for election with 39.2% of the vote. The Liberal Democrats held 20 seats, having received 19.5% of the vote. Four independents and two Newcastle Independents completed the council, with independent candidates receiving 7.0% of the vote across the borough and Newcastle Independents candidate receiving 6.8% of the vote. The Conservatives received 17.6% of the vote and the Green Party received 9.1% of the vote but neither party won any seats.[3]

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 2022 are those who came first in each ward in 2018.

Council term

Following the 2021 election, Nick Kemp challenged Nick Forbes for the council leadership. Forbes had served as a councillor since 2000, as Labour group leader since 2007 and council leader since 2011. Kemp had served as a councillor since 2002, and in 2020 had resigned as cabinet member for environmental and regulatory services, saying that he was being undermined. At the time, Forbes said that he had recently received complaints about Kemp.[4] Kemp stood against Forbes at the Labour Group's post-election annual general meeting; while another councillor, Karen Kilgour stood against the incumbent deputy leader Joyce McCarty.[5] Forbes won the contest with 30 votes to Kemp's 22. Kilgour, regarded as an ally to Kemp, was elected deputy leader by 28 votes to 24.[6]

The Liberal Democrat councillor Anita Lower died in July 2021 having served as a councillor for 25 years.[7] The Liberal Democrat candidate Thom Campion successfully defended the seat in the subsequent by-election, with Labour coming second.[8]

Forbes failed to win reselection as the Labour candidate for his ward after local members voted 13-4 to select another candidate, the local activist Abdul Samad, instead.[9] He said he wouldn't contest the selection, which he called an "ambush" by members on the left-wing of his party, or change wards, but that withdrawing from the election was "honourable choice".[10] He remained in position as council leader but asked for a new Labour group leader to be chosen ahead of the election so that voters would know what to expect from the Labour Party.[11] Three councillors sought to replace him: Kemp, Clare Penny-Evans and Irim Ali.[12] In the first round of voting, Kemp received 26 votes, Penny-Evans received 22 and Ali received four. Kemp was elected in the second round with 27 votes, while Penny-Evans received 24.[13] Kemp had previously been supported by left-wing councillors who saw Forbes as being more centrist.[13] He promised to give 10% of his salary as leader to a fund for community groups, and said that his leadership would contribute "fresh ideas, based on fundamental values of inclusivity and opportunity for all" to the city.[14]

Electoral process

The council elects its councillors in thirds, with a third being up for election every year for three years, with no election in the fourth year.[15] [16] The election will take place by first-past-the-post voting, with wards generally being represented by three councillors, with one elected in each election year to serve a four-year term.

All registered electors (British, Irish, Commonwealth and European Union citizens) living in Newcastle aged 18 or over will be entitled to vote in the election. People who live at two addresses in different councils, such as university students with different term-time and holiday addresses, are entitled to be registered for and vote in elections in both local authorities. Voting in-person at polling stations will take place from 07:00 to 22:00 on election day, and voters will be able to apply for postal votes or proxy votes in advance of the election.

Previous council composition

After 2021 electionBefore 2022 election
PartySeatsPartySeats
5250
2020
33
33

Ward results

Wingrove

By-elections

Byker

Notes and References

  1. Book: Local Government in England and Wales: A Guide to the New System . 1974 . . London . 0-11-750847-0 . 7 .
  2. Web site: Walker . Jonathan . 2018-11-02 . It's official: New North of Tyne Combined Authority is launched . 2022-03-30 . ChronicleLive . en.
  3. Web site: Local election results 2021 Newcastle City Council . 2022-03-29 . www.newcastle.gov.uk.
  4. Web site: Holland . Daniel . 2020-06-22 . Bitter split as senior Newcastle labour figure quits cabinet . 2022-03-29 . ChronicleLive . en.
  5. Web site: Holland . Daniel . 2021-05-07 . Bid launched to oust Nick Forbes as Newcastle Labour leader . 2022-03-29 . ChronicleLive . en.
  6. Web site: Holland . Daniel . 2021-05-10 . Nick Forbes survives Newcastle Labour leadership challenge . 2022-03-29 . ChronicleLive . en.
  7. Web site: Johnson . Ian . 2021-07-03 . 'A real champion of Newcastle': Tributes after Lib Dem councillor dies aged 63 . 2022-03-29 . ChronicleLive . en.
  8. Web site: Castle ward by-election result Newcastle City Council . 2022-03-29 . www.newcastle.gov.uk.
  9. Web site: Holland . Daniel . 2022-02-13 . A remarkable week that left council leader Nick Forbes' future in peril . 2022-03-29 . ChronicleLive . en.
  10. News: 2022-02-21 . Newcastle Council leader Nick Forbes confirms exit after seat deselection . en-GB . BBC News . 2022-03-29.
  11. Web site: Holland . Daniel . 2022-02-21 . Nick Forbes confirms exit as Newcastle City Council leader . 2022-03-29 . ChronicleLive . en.
  12. Web site: Holland . Daniel . 2022-03-04 . The three names vying to replace Nick Forbes as Newcastle council leader . 2022-03-29 . ChronicleLive . en.
  13. Web site: Holland . Daniel . 2022-03-14 . Nick Kemp wins race to succeed Nick Forbes as Newcastle Labour leader . 2022-03-29 . ChronicleLive . en.
  14. Web site: Holland . Daniel . 2022-03-15 . Nick Kemp promises 'fresh ideas' for Newcastle after Labour leadership triumph . 2022-03-29 . ChronicleLive . en.
  15. News: Local government structure and elections. GOV.UK. 2018-04-27. en.
  16. Web site: Election Timetable in England.