Local elections in North Tyneside should act as a wake up call for the Labour Party and its establishment here.

If you put each ward side-by-side with the 2019 results you begin to see exactly why:

First up, in alphabetical order, is Battle Hill ward. When you look at the numbers it looks like a great result for the Labour candidate but the vote share tells a very different story. Labour up slightly by 1.3% but the Tories are up by a whopping 23%. Increased turnout too.

Next up we have Benton ward. Again numbers wise it looks like a positive for Labour. But the voter share percentage tells a worrying story. Here Tories are down -0.1% but an independent has taken 9.1% whilst Labour is down by a huge 10.3%.

Camperdown is an interesting ward in terms of results... both the Labour (+8.4) & Conservative(+9.2) vote is up. However, the Tories are still gaining ground on Labour here too (even if it seems inconsequential).

Chirton Ward is going to be one to watch going forward - as this election was ran as a two votes two candidates - the statistical analysis is a different. But Conservatives made huge gains here and the fact an incumbent (John Stirling) was pushed to second place is a big worry.

Tories made some huge gains in Chirton Ward in line with the trend in other wards. Both parties demonstrate an inability to manage vote share between their candidates in these elections. Fortunately it isn’t going to be a regular/repeat occurrence. One seat was a by-election.

Collingwood voters have slashed the majority of the Labour Party with Tory candidate making a 12.2% gain in comparison to Labour’s vote only going up by 4.8%. This could be a very vulnerable seat next election cycle unless something changes.

Cullercoats was lost by Labour in 2019 and again in 2021. However, this particular result can be attributed to former Mayor Linda Arkley’s personal popularity with voters as much as it can a swing to the Tories. Both Labour & Conservative vote share is up. It remains v marginal.

Howdon Ward also follows the visible pattern in North Tyneside - Tory vote is up considerably whilst Labour vote is up but lagging a little. Tories gaining 12.3% whilst Labour are up a mere 2.6%.

Killingworth is another interesting ward as the Labour vote has gone up a mere +1.0% whilst the Tory vote is up 14.1%. These gains are slowly chipping away at Labour majorities in these wards considered ‘safe seats’.

Longbenton shouldn’t be a huge concern for the Labour Party - but the trend is still there... Labour vote up slightly whilst Conservative vote is up by a large percentage change.

Monkseaton North is a rare example of the Labour Party doing well - clearly a result of the on the ground activism and campaigning carried out by a very active labour branch. This is the ONLY seat where Tory vote has decreased (-1.0%) while Labour vote increased (+11.1%)

In stark contrast, Monkseaton South is now a hotly contested marginal seat with only 1.2% between Tory and Labour in 2021. Labour’s vote increased by a measly 0.7% whilst Conservative vote is up by 12.0%. Labour very lucky to cling on here.

Northumberland Ward was a Labour gain from Liberal Democrat this year - the Labour vote remained relatively the same whilst the Tory vote is again up slightly. A good victory for Labour in an otherwise bleak set of council elections.

Preston Ward reveals a huge error on the part of the Labour Party... it was targeted heavily by the Conservatives... a very vicious battle ground. Labour lucky to have held on to by-election seat. Incumbent Cath Davis was pushed to 2nd place by the Tory candidate.

Preston Ward is the victim of a concerted Tory campaign that included a fake news operation on social media and letters being sent to residents from a ‘neighbour’ called ‘Carol’ all targeting electorate with nasty attacks on the Labour candidates.

Labour should have fought back hard and recognised that Preston was being targeted... the ward should have been given additional resources and increased participation of activists. Apparently none of this happened and the party suffered as a result.

Riverside ward is again in line with the general trend throughout North Tyneside... Labour vote up by +8.0% whilst Tory vote increased by a huge +13.8%. These changes won’t worry Labour too much here. But it does indicate Labour need more on the ground activism.

St Mary’s ward is a safe Tory seat in an otherwise sea of Labour wards. Tory vote here is up massively - securing the seat for future elections too.

Tynemouth Ward is sliding back into the clutches of the Tories. However, in this election Labour have gained ground here. In 2019 there were 222 votes separating Tory & Labour whilst now there’s only 105. This ward can be won back with hard work & community engagement.

Valley Ward showing an increasing in the Labour vote which is then matched by an increase in Tory vote. Labour have a solid majority here though so it seems popular with the electorate.

Wallsend is showing a decrease in the Labour vote in comparison to 2019. Labour are down by -4.7% where as the Tories are up by +5.6%. Interestingly the Lib Dem also made gains here. While the green vote is down considerably.

Weetslade should be a priority concern for the Labour Party too - the Lib Dem & Tory vote are up... and if combined together are more than the Labour vote in the ward. Labour vote here is down significantly in comparison to 2019.

Whitley Bay is a fascinating ward in this election - Labour vote down by -9.2% whilst the Tory vote is up by +2%. Biggest gain here though is the Green Party up by a massive 14.5%. I think we know where @GreenPartyNT will be focussing their efforts next election cycle.

All things considered the trend in North Tyneside is very much in line with that happening nationally... a swing to the Conservative Party in most places... Labour only being rewarded in areas where it is doing actual work and inspiring voters with a clear vision of the future.

One major thing missing from North Tyneside Labour is a clear manifesto for voters to subscribe to which would provide candidates more than just the usual bland promises to give the electorate. Labour also cannot ignore the need to get out into the community & talk to people.

It’s a lot of hard work but if the Labour Party here locally is going to reflect Labour principles & values then it needs to buck its ideas up, embed itself into local communities, and take on board criticism/feedback from residents who raise their concerns.