Reform UK have won every seat that was up for election on Hartlepool Borough Council, to become the largest party and strip Labour of their majority.
A third of the council’s seats were on offer yesterday – Reform won all 12.
The make-up of the council is now:
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Reform UK – 15
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Labour – 14
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Independent – 7
The council is therefore under no overall control, with talks needed to form the next administration.
The Conservatives lost their two seats.
The council leader, Pamela Hargreaves, was among the six Labour councillors who lost their seats.
She said: “Hopefully it gives the national party the message that change needs to happen, and that starts right from the Prime Minister.”
The Labour MP for Hartlepool, Jonathan Brash, has called for the Prime Minister to resign after what he described as a “terrible night” for his party.
Her husband, the Hartlepool Labour MP Jonathan Brash, repeated his previous calls for Sir Keir Starmer to stand down.
He said: “It’s clear to me that the Prime Minister should take this opportunity to set out a timetable for his own departure, and then allow for the widest possible leadership election that includes all the talents of our party.”
Control of Hartlepool Borough Council changed hands several times in recent years, before Labour won a majority of seats in 2024.
Results from the other council elections in the North East are due to be counted and declared during the daytime on Friday.
A third of seats were also up for election in North Tyneside.
All seats were on offer in Newcastle, Gateshead, South Tyneside and Sunderland.
Labour have been running all of those councils but are expected to suffer significant losses.
In Newcastle, the first wards to be declared went to the Green Party. All three seats in the Byker ward went to the party.
Reform UK has also won its first seats on the council – the party picked up three seats in Westerhope and Denton.
Karen Kilgour, the leader of Newcastle City Council, talking to Labour MP Cat McKinnell at the count on Friday. Credit: ITV Tyne Tees
The first seats have also been declared in Sunderland. With the results known for six seats, both the Liberal Democrats and Reform UK have won apiece. Turnout in the city was 40.5%.
So far in Gateshead 30 seats have been declared, with Reform UK winning 15, the Liberal Democrats winning 12 and Labour winning 3.
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