Two council by-elections in Northumberland saw a double win for Labour as the party regained two seats lost to Reform in 2025.
Melaine Fox and Amy Spriggs were elected as the new county councillors for Ashington’s Hirst ward and Amble respectively following polls on Thursday.
It was a significant moment for the party which lost significant ground to Reform at the local elections in the county in 2025. Labour were reduced to just eight seats, behind both the Tories and Reform.
While the result will do little to change the overall makeup of the council, it is some much-needed good news for the party which has struggled badly in the North East since the local elections.
The Hirst election was triggered after former councillor John Allen failed to attend any meetings for six months.
Mr Allen, who was expelled from Reform after allegedly making comments online threatening former Prime Minister Keir Starmer, stood in the by-election himself but received just 11 votes.
Responding to the result, Northumberland Labour leader Coun Scott Dickinson said: “I’m absolutely delighted with the results in both Amble and Hirst and incredibly proud of Amy Spriggs and Melanie Fox.
“Amy ran a positive, energetic campaign in Amble, rooted in the community she knows so well. She already spends her working life supporting local people, from older residents to children and families, and throughout this campaign people have seen her commitment, work ethic and genuine passion for the town.
"I know she will take exactly that same approach into her new role as Amble’s county councillor.
“Melanie has also worked incredibly hard in Hirst and thoroughly deserves the opportunity she has now been given to represent the community.
"As a fantastic town councillor, she has already shown what a great Councillor she is.
“She understands the challenges facing local people and has shown throughout the campaign that she is prepared to listen, work hard and be a strong local voice.
“These results give us two new Labour councillors who are local, committed and ready to get straight to work. I’m really looking forward to welcoming Amy and Melanie to the Labour Group at County Hall and working alongside them.
“Most importantly, I want to thank everyone who took the time to vote and everyone who helped both campaigns.
"Amy and Melanie now have the responsibility and privilege of representing their communities, and our focus from today is on delivering for the people who have put their trust in them.”
The by-elections also saw the electoral bow of Restore Britain, the right-wing party led by former Reform MP Rupert Lowe. In the Hirst ward, Restore came in ahead of the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats but well behind Labour and Reform, while they came a distant fourth in Amble.
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The full list of results are as follows:
Hirst
ALLEN, John Victor – Independent – 11
CLARK , Calvin – Liberal Democrats – 27
DAVISON , Kerry – Reform UK – 210
FERGUSON, David – The Conservative Party Candidate – 29
FOX, Melanie Tuesday – Labour Party – 350
WEBLEY, Eden – Restore Britain – 72
TURNOUT: 21%
JOYCE, Michael Anthony – Restore Britain- 76
LADYMAN, Warren – Reform UK – 379
RICHARDS , Jenny – The Conservative Party Candidate – 237
SPRIGGS, Amy – Labour Party – 439
TURNOUT: 31%