The leader of the Reform UK opposition group on North Tyneside Council has left the party. Killingworth councillor Brian Smith will now sit as an independent.
Neither Reform nor Councillor Smith has issued any formal comment at this stage. However, the news has been confirmed, and the council's website has been updated to reflect the change.
First Reform councillor
Councillor Smith was the borough's first Reform councillor after winning a vacant seat in a by-election in July 2025. That election was triggered when former councillor Pat Oliver decided to step down and leave the council.
Councillor Smith won 38.5% of the vote, ahead of Labour's Lucy Dixon on 31.9%. At the local elections in May, his seat was not up for re-election, but Reform took the other Killingworth seat that was up for grabs as it surged to become the local authority's second largest party and the official opposition.
Political changes since the election
Reform gained 10 seats to put them on 11 overall, behind Labour on 38, down 12 on their pre-election position. Councillor Smith was subsequently selected as the group leader; his successor is yet to be confirmed.
It is the latest in a number of changes to the political makeup of the council since the election. In August, Councillor Rebecca O'Keefe was suspended by Labour for at least six months after voting against the party whip on plans to close the council's outdoor centre, High Borrans.
Less than a week later, Labour also suspended Tynemouth councillor Tom Bailey after he allegedly shared a picture of himself with an "imitation firearm". He later resigned from Labour with immediate effect, citing differences in values between himself and the local party. This week, it was revealed Councillor Bailey had joined the Green Party. Police inquiries found no offence linked to the alleged post.
Current council makeup
That came after another blow for Labour in August when Councillor Josephine Mudzingwa quit the administration to sit as an independent. The North Shields councillor cited a lack of support from the group as her reason for leaving.
It means Labour currently hold 36 of the council's 60 seats. Reform remain the opposition with 10 seats, ahead of the Tories on eight. There are also three Green Party councillors and three councillors sitting as independents.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service has contacted Councillor Smith and Reform North Tyneside for comment.
