The 2019 Newcastle City Council election took place on 2 May 2019, on the same day as other local elections across the United Kingdom.

One third of the seats — 26 out of the 78 — were up for election, being the seats of the councillors who finished third in each individual ward at the all-out elections in 2018, with an additional seat up in the Monument ward following the resignation of a Labour councillor.

The ruling Labour group lost two seats, holding their majority by returning 17 members to the council. The Newcastle Independents, a localist party, gained their first ever seat on the council whilst the Liberal Democrats gained the Ouseburn ward.

Following the election, Nick Forbes returned as leader of the council. Forbes had earlier in the year sought selection as the Labour candidate for the newly created North of Tyne mayoralty, but lost out to Monument councillor Jamie Driscoll.

Election result The council remained under Labour majority control.

Labour lost two seats. The ward of Callerton and Throckley was lost to the Newcastle Independents, with Ian Donaldson becoming their first ever councillor. The Ouseburn ward was lost to Gareth Kane of the Liberal Democrats.

The Chapel ward saw incumbent independent councillor Olga Shorton lose to Sandra Davison, an independent challenger. Shorton and her husband had attempted to form a "Chapel Independents" political group on the council, which was criticised by fellow independent Chapel councillor Marc Donnelly.

The Conservatives failed to pick up a seat on the council, having last won a seat in 1995.

The Green Party had a strong showing, doubling their share of the total votes to 8.9%, taking over 20% of the vote in Heaton, Monument and South Jesmond.

UKIP contested eight wards but did not win a seat.

Ward Results

Arthur's Hill

Benwell and Scotswood

Blakelaw

Byker

Callerton and Throckley

Castle

Chapel

Dene and South Gosforth

Denton and Westerhope

Elswick

Fawdon and West Gosforth

Gosforth

Heaton

Kenton

Kingston Park South and Newbiggin Hall

Lemington

Manor Park

Monument

North Jesmond

Ouseburn

Parklands

South Jesmond

Walker

Walkergate

West Fenham

Wingrove

Changes between 2019 and 2021 In December 2019, Labour councillors Kim McGuinness (Lemington) and Nora Casey (Blakelaw) resigned. McGuinness had been elected as Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner and resigned to focus on that role. In March 2020, Labour councillor George Allison (Byker) died. In March 2021, independent councillor Sandra Davison (Chapel) resigned for personal reasons. Later in March 2021, Labour councillor Nigel Todd (Arthur's Hill) died.

The local elections scheduled for May 2020, together with subsequent local by-elections, were postponed until 6 May 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, no standalone city council by-election was held between the 2019 and 2021 elections. The vacancies were instead filled at the 2021 election, when Byker and Chapel each returned two councillors.

References