Labour lost several seats in Newcastle on local election day, but remains the dominant political force in the city.
Council leader Nick Kemp saw his party suffer four noteworthy defeats at the ballot box on Thursday, though Labour did gain one seat in the outer west and maintained its large majority. Newcastle’s Liberal Democrat opposition were buoyant after claiming two scalps, unseating a Labour cabinet member in West Fenham and taking a dominant victory in the swing ward of North Jesmond.
The Newcastle Independents party enjoyed success in the ward of Lemington and in Denton and Westerhope, but dropped one seat to Labour in Callerton and Throckley. Conservative hopes of winning an election in the city for the first time since 1992 were dashed once again, as Doc Anand fell short of the Lib Dems in Gosforth, while the Greens’ wait for a first seat on the council also went on.
