Labour’s council leader in Newcastle has lost her seat.
Karen Kilgour failed to win election in the Blakelaw and Cowgate ward, where Reform UK secured victory and took all three available seats.
Coun Kilgour has been Labour’s leader on Newcastle City Council since 2024, taking over after the resignation of Nick Kemp.
Labour has been in power in Newcastle since 2011, but that is widely expected to change today.
The party lost its majority in the city following a series of defections in 2024 and has since operated a minority administration, going into local election day this week with 34 of the city’s 78 council seats.
Votes are still being counted at Newcastle Civic Centre and, at time of writing, only half of the city’s 26 wards had been declared – though Labour is losing seats to both Reform and the Greens.
But the result in Blakelaw and Cowgate, which was subject to a recount, has already been announced and it spelled bad news for the council leader.
Having switched wards from her former West Fenham seat, she was beaten by three Reform UK candidates – Rachel Davison, Gavin Hutchinson, and Irene Turnbull
The full result in Blakelaw and Cowgate was:
Dawn Brown (CON) – 165
Rachel Davison (REF) – 885
Aurora Harrison (G) – 457
Frances Hinton (G) – 418
Gavin Hutchinson (REF) – 857
Tina Ion (G) – 453
Karen Kilgour (LAB) – 681
Brian McGreevy (LD) – 169
Michael O’Dowd (TUSC) – 35
Lauren Proctor (LD) – 140
Juna Sathian (LAB) – 812
Bill Schardt (LD) – 135
Ian Tokell (LAB) – 579
Irene Turnbull (REF) – 834
Marion Williams (IND) – 114
