Katie Groom has been elected as the new Reform UK councillor for Harton ward in South Tyneside after winning the by-election on Thursday, August 6.
By-election results
Groom secured 628 votes, a majority of 274 over Labour's Neil Maxwell, who received 354 votes. The Green Party's Kathryn Kaupa finished third with 312 votes, followed by independents Karen Myers and Phil Brown with 285 and 119 votes respectively. The Conservatives' Sam Hill came sixth with 57 votes, while the Liberal Democrats' Mark Robson received 24 votes.
Background and reaction
The by-election was triggered by the resignation of councillor Alex Clarke, who had been elected in the May 'all-out' elections, which saw Reform UK win 41 seats. Clarke stepped down following reports of offensive remarks on a podcast, which were condemned by Reform UK council leader Cllr Paul Mackings.
Groom, who was previously unsuccessful in the May elections for Fellgate and Hedworth, expressed gratitude for the support of the two existing Reform UK councillors for Harton. She described speaking to voters as "amazing" and said the result demonstrated a "vote of confidence" in the party locally.
She added: "I'm just so grateful and thankful that the voters have put their trust in me and to give me a chance to be a good councillor for them."
Neil Maxwell, a former Labour councillor who lost his Harton seat in May, said the Labour and Green vote combined exceeded Reform's, calling it "a good start". He expressed hope to stand again in the May local elections next year.
Kathryn Kaupa said she was "disappointed" but "incredibly proud of the positive campaign we've run". She added: "Over the past few weeks I've met so many wonderful people who care passionately about Harton and want to see our community thrive. That doesn't end tonight. I'll continue working alongside our Green councillors and campaigners to stand up for Harton and for communities across South Tyneside."
Turnout and council composition
Turnout was 28.3 per cent, with 1,780 votes cast from an electorate of 6,288. The previous Harton election saw a turnout of 43.6 per cent.
Following the by-election, South Tyneside Council now has 41 Reform UK councillors, 10 Green Party councillors, two independents, and one Labour councillor.
