A council by-election has been triggered in Gateshead following the resignation of a Reform UK High Fell councillor. Danielle Cavanagh has stood down from the role of councillor for High Fell after having just been elected on 8 May. Now the residents of High Fell will soon head to the polls once more to cast their ballots.
Reform UK gained majority control over Gateshead in this month’s local election, amassing an original total of 38 out of 66 seats up for grabs in the all-out contest. The victory marked the first time since the council was formed in 1974 that the local authority was not governed by a Labour administration.
On the resignation and impending by-election, Gateshead Council’s Reform UK group leader coun Nick Allan said: “Danielle was very keen and looking forward to making her contribution, but she runs a business alongside her mother. In the week leading up to the election she was offered an opportunity to expand her business.
“She thought about it long and hard and it was too big an opportunity. She came to us genuinely broken-hearted, we can’t discourage somebody who is making the right decision.”
Election costs
However, the triggered by-election has sparked political controversy, with Liberal Democrats and Labour estimating by-election costs of between £10,000 to £16,000.
Lib Dem opposition leader, coun Ron Beadle stated: “Reform chaos has caught up with Gateshead. This by-election is completely unnecessary had Reform selected a candidate who was serious about doing the job. Now the people of Gateshead are going to pick up a by-election bill at a time when services are being squeezed.
“Reform should pay the cost of this election. The chaos predicated has begun, perhaps even earlier than we thought. We now wait to see how many Reform councillors are interested enough in their jobs to turn up to the annual meeting next week.”
Labour councillor for Saltwell John Adams said: “Residents deserve councillors who will serve their community for a full term, not a few days. This also raises serious questions about Reform’s competency locally.”
Coun Adams continued: “It is a chaotic and avoidable mess”.
Coun Allan stated Labour and the Lib Dems were making “political capital” out of the pending by-election which was “to be expected”. The Reform Group leader went on to say the party already had a series of potential candidates for the now-vacant seat.
Coun Allan said: “We know that we can do well for the residents of High Fell and that is what we are determined to do.”
The Local Democracy Reporting Service has attempted to contact Danielle Cavanagh.
