Reform UK won the Gateshead Council by-election reform UK in High Fell by five votes after a recount, with Lindsay Atkinson taking the seat on 564 votes. Kathryn Walker of Labour finished on 559, after Danielle Cavanagh left the ward seat less than two weeks after being elected on 7 May.
High Fell vote margin
Atkinson said, “This is an area Labour has dominated for decades and this shows people want to see some change.” The result left Reform with 38 councillors on Gateshead Council, ahead of the Lib Dems on 13, Labour on 12 and the Greens on three.
Cavanagh said she stepped down to focus on expanding her business. Atkinson said she “did the right thing” and that “she was mindful she could not support the residents any more.”
John Adams on the result
John Adams, the Gateshead Labour co-leader, said, “We know we lost the local election, we have got a lot of work to do, and we are determined to do that.” His comment came after Reform took control of Gateshead Council in May, ending Labour's 52 years in power.
That earlier result is part of why the High Fell count drew attention: Reform held the seat, but only after a recount and by a five-vote margin. Gateshead Council's Reform UK majority had already said it would pay for the by-election by having one of its cabinet members forgo their special responsibility allowance.
Gateshead Council majority
The practical result is simple for High Fell voters: the vacancy created by Cavanagh's resignation has been filled, and the council's numbers remain unchanged. For Labour, the narrow loss narrows the gap between the broad May result and the contest over individual wards.
