Newcastle City Council leader hit with new challenge in city's Labour power struggle
Newcastle’s council leader is facing a new bid to remove him from power.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) understands that Nick Kemp is the subject of a leadership challenge from outer west councillor Dan Greenhough, the latest development in an ongoing internal struggle that has gripped the city’s ruling Labour group over recent years. Coun Greenhough’s name has been put forward to stand against the council leader in a party contest due to take place in the days after next week’s local elections.
It is the second year in succession that Coun Kemp has faced such a challenge, though rival Ged Bell ultimately withdrew before a vote could be held 12 months ago. A battle for control of Newcastle Labour has been waged between competing factions within the group over recent years.
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Coun Kemp originally sought to depose former council leader Nick Forbes in 2021, before Mr Forbes was then dramatically deselected in his Arthur’s Hill ward the following year. The long-serving Byker ward councillor took over Newcastle City Council’s Labour administration in 2022 after emerging victorious in a tight leadership race against Forbes ally Clare Penny-Evans by 27 votes to 24.
Both he and Coun Greenhough declined to comment when contacted by the LDRS on Friday. It is thought that the leadership contest will be held at an online meeting of the city’s Labour group on Wednesday, May 8.
Coun Greenhough, who represents the Denton and Westerhope ward, first sat on the council from 2016 to 2019 before rejoining in 2022.
Labour currently holds a majority on the city council, with 47 of its 78 seats, and is expected to retain overall control at the local elections on May 2. However, the city’s Lib Dem opposition is hoping to deal the ruling party a blow in swing seats like North Jesmond, Ouseburn, and West Fenham next week.
The Newcastle Independents, which have taken seats off Labour in the outer west over recent years, are defending seats in both Lemington and the Denton and Westerhope ward. The Green Party is targeting Byker as Nick Hartley bids to claim their first ever seat on the council, while Conservative hopes of winning in Newcastle for the first time in more than 30 years appear to rest once again with Doc Anand in the Lib Dem stronghold of Gosforth.