Newcastle politics is about to enter a new era, after Labour 's leadership in the city changed hands for the first time in more than a decade.
Nick Kemp has promised “fresh ideas” at the civic centre after emerging victorious in the contest to replace Nick Forbes, who has been at the head of the party in Newcastle since 2007.
After a hectic few weeks that are set to spark a major overhaul in the council’s corridors of power, here is a reminder of what has happened.
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Why is Nick Forbes leaving?
The city council leader was dramatically deselected in his own Arthur’s Hill ward in February, later alleging an ‘ambush’ by members on the left of the Labour party. The ousted figurehead, a prominent voice for Labour in the North East and key moderate ally of Sir Keir Starmer, was therefore left without a seat to contest in the upcoming local elections.
While he could have sought to cling onto power by being parachuted into another ward in the city, the damage done to his authority as leader was ultimately deemed too severe and Coun Forbes announced that he would walk away from city politics at the end of his term in May. That triggered a contest to replace him, which concluded this week.
Who was in the running?
It was a three-way fight for the leadership between a collection of prominent Labour councillors – Nick Kemp, Clare Penny-Evans, and Irim Ali. The divisions within Newcastle’s ruling party have been apparent for some time and the split between long-term Forbes allies and other factions appeared evident in the result of Monday night’s leadership election.
Backers of Coun Penny-Evans, a member of Coun Forbes’ cabinet who had led on climate change issues for the city, had been cautiously optimistic that she would prevail in the contest. But it was Coun Kemp who instead edged out a narrow victory, winning the support of 27 councillors to her 24, after Coun Ali had earlier been knocked out of the competition in the first round of voting.
He has now become the political leader of the council’s Labour group, but will have to wait until May before formally taking over as leader of the council. His rival Coun Forbes will continue in the job he has held for 11 years until May, but asked for a successor to be chosen before the May elections in order to give “clarity” to voters.
Who is Nick Kemp?
The 53-year-old is an experienced head and a well-known figure in city politics, having represented Byker since 2002. He runs a public relations firm, previously worked for Newcastle East MP Nick Brown, and used to oversee issues including bin collections and trading standards when he sat on the cabinet.
He has had designs on the leadership for some time and unsuccessfully challenged Coun Forbes last May. That came after simmering tensions within the Labour establishment boiled over in summer 2020 – as Coun Kemp quit the cabinet and claimed he was being undermined by “constant sniping” and “personal animosities”, after which Coun Forbes alleged he had received “a number of complaints about Coun Kemp’s behaviour”.
While the Byker councillor is not thought of as being part of the hard left of the party himself, he is believed to have carried the backing of Jeremy Corbyn-supporting councillors in the past among a coalition of factions opposing Coun Forbes’ leadership.
Coun Kemp previously hit the headlines in May 2020, when he was labelled “irresponsible” for posting a photo of himself with a beer in Jesmond Dene during the first Covid lockdown. He has also been known as an outspoken critic of the controversial Whey Aye wheel development and of an 18-storey tower block proposed at the mouth of the Ouseburn, while in recent weeks he has been prominent in organising donations for the Newcastle Stands With Ukraine campaign.
What has the reaction been to the new leader?
Coun Penny-Evans tweeted after the result on Monday that it was a "shame we didn’t take the opportunity to elect a woman leader" for what would have been the first time in the council’s history. Meanwhile Coun Ali, who would have also been the council's first non-white leader, claimed to have "no doubt that the group is united and we will support the new leader" – though whether Coun Kemp can in fact unite a divided Labour group is certainly up for debate.
Members of the current Labour council establishment are known to have been left bitterly disappointed by Coun Kemp’s victory. One cabinet member, John-Paul Stephenson, announced soon after the leadership contest that he would not seek a post at the civic centre’s top table again in May and it remains to be seen whether any other familiar names, such as Ged Bell or Joyce McCarty, will also take a step back.
Rumours have even been spread about the prospect of opponents seeking to mount a challenge Coun Kemp's leadership as early as the Labour group's AGM in May, though this would seem an extreme option after what has already been a turbulent time for the party in Newcastle.
What has the new leader had to say?
Coun Kemp released a statement late on Monday night, saying it was a “privilege to be given responsibility to lead this great city” and that it was “essential” that Labour earns the trust of the Geordie public in a new era for the party. He promised to “represent every community” in the city, from the suburbs to the city centre, and vowed “fresh ideas, based on fundamental values of inclusivity and opportunity for all”.
He added: “We know that none of this will be easy. We face continued budgetary pressures, with the government seemingly hellbent on removing the ability of local government to effectively fulfil even its most basic functions, so no stone shall be left unturned in our mission to make the best use of the resources we have available to us and to ensure those resources are deployed in the most effective way for all.”
Coun Kemp pledged to tackle “appalling” levels of child poverty in Newcastle, address children’s mental health issues, and “fight to ensure vital public services are delivered across this city, to grow the city with jobs that are secure, with fit and proper wages and protections for all workers”. He also announced that he would contribute 10% of his monthly salary as leader to a Newcastle Solidarity Fund, which he set up with fellow East End councillor Stevie Wood to provide funding to small community groups.
