Reform UK win Hartlepool Borough Council by-election by landslide margin
Reform UK are celebrating by-election success after winning a seat on Hartlepool Borough Council previously held by Labour.
Councillor Amanda Napper secured victory in the Throston ward poll on Thursday, May 1, with 889 votes compared to the 486 received by Labour representative Lyndsey Allen in second.
The third and final candidate was Conservative Veronica Nicholson who collected 151 votes.
The Hartlepool Borough Council by-election was held to fill the seat which had been vacant since Labour's Cameron Sharp resigned from the role in March "with a heavy heart" due to accepting a teaching position in a school managed by the local authority.
Cllr Napper's success marks the first time Reform UK has held a seat on the council since 2021, with the then-councillor John Tennant joining the party in January of that year.
At the time Reform UK said Mr Tennant was the party's "first local councillor" but he later lost his seat in the May 2021 Hartlepool Borough Council all-out election.
Speaking after May 1’s result was announced, Cllr Napper, who finished second in the Hartlepool count at the 2024 General Election, said her main priorities will be tackling rat and anti-social behaviour issues impacting parts of the ward.
She added: “When you see the state of Throston ward it makes you realise how much hard work it needs to pull it into shape, so I'm fully eyes wide open to the amount of work needed. It's just the beginning of work to come.
"I'm just a very normal person, I speak to people how I would like to be spoken to and that's how I've always dealt with people.
"I take on board what people are saying, I'm a good listener, but I'm also very proactive as well."
Following the result, the council is made up of 23 Labour councillors, six Conservatives, five independents, one Independent Union representative and the new Reform UK councillor.
The poll turnout was 25.53%.