The 2023 Newcastle City Council election took place on 4 May 2023 to elect one third of the members of Newcastle City Council in Tyne & Wear, England. This was on the same day as other local elections in England and Wales.

There were 27 of the 78 seats on the council up for election, being the usual third of the council plus a by-election in the North Jesmond ward. The result saw the Labour Party lose three seats with the Liberal Democrats and Newcastle Independents making gains. Labour retained its majority on the council.

Background The Labour Party has historically been dominant in Newcastle. Labour controlled the council from its creation in 1973 until 2004, when the Liberal Democrats won a majority on the council. Labour retook control in 2011, and have maintained a majority at every subsequent election.

Until 2022, the Labour council was led by Nick Forbes, who was also the Leader of the Labour group of the Local Government Association. The election marked the end of the first year of Nick Kemp's leadership of Newcastle City Council and as leader of the Labour group.

The seats up for election in 2023 were last contested in 2019.

This was the first election for Colin Ferguson as leader of the Liberal Democrats group, who took over from Nick Cott, and Tracey Mitchell as leader of the Newcastle Independents, who had taken over from Jason Smith.

Election result Despite losing three seats, the council remained under Labour majority control. Labour made a net loss of three seats.

Five seats changed hands at this election. The Liberal Democrats gained seats in North Jesmond and West Fenham from Labour. The Newcastle Independents gained two seats from Labour, the Denton and Westerhope ward and the Lemington ward. Despite losing three seats elsewhere on the council, Labour took the seat of Callerton and Throckley from the Newcastle Independents.

Nick Kemp faced a challenge for the council leadership from fellow Labour councillor Ged Bell. Bell had served as a councillor since 1996 and was a member of the council's cabinet under Nick Forbes. The challenge was withdrawn, leaving Kemp to return unopposed as leader of the Labour group.

Ward results

The Statement of Persons Nominated, which details the candidates standing in each ward, was released by Newcastle City Council following the close of nominations on 4 April 2023.

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

Two seats were contested in North Jesmond: the seat due in the ordinary election and a casual vacancy caused by the resignation of Labour councillor Stella Postlethwaite.

Ouseburn

Parklands

South Jesmond

Walker

Walkergate

West Fenham

Wingrove

Changes between 2023 and 2024 29 November 2023: Jason Smith, Newcastle Independents councillor for Lemington, resigned on health grounds. Because the vacancy arose within six months of the next ordinary election, no by-election was held. Smith died in January 2024 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. 26 January 2024: Habib Rahman, Labour councillor for Elswick and a former lord mayor, left the Labour Party and began sitting as an independent. He criticised the party's approach to Islamophobia and its position on the Israel–Gaza war. 20 March 2024: Brenda Hindmarsh, Liberal Democrat councillor for Fawdon and West Gosforth, resigned with immediate effect. Her vacancy was filled alongside the ward's ordinary seat at the 2024 election. 23 April 2024: Shumel Rahman, Labour councillor for Monument, left the party and began sitting as an independent, saying that he had been victimised over his support for Palestine.

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