Opposition councillors in Newcastle could wrest control of the city away from Labour “within a few years”, a Liberal Democrat chief believes.
After a dramatic few months in which divisions in the ruling party have been laid bare and long-serving council leader Nick Forbes has been ousted, opponents are hoping to capitalise on Labour’s internal turmoil at next week’s local elections. Nick Cott, leader of the city’s Lib Dem opposition, is hopeful that his party can banish the electoral spectre of the coalition government “once and for all” and says he sees similarities to the events that ultimately saw the city council turn yellow back in 2004.
Labour has a commanding majority for now, holding 52 of the council’s 78 seats, and will unquestionably remain in control after May 5. But red seats are under threat from the 20-strong Lib Dem group in the traditional swing wards of Ouseburn and North Jesmond, from the rising Newcastle Independents in the outer west of the city, and in what is being touted as a multi-party race in West Fenham.
