Reform could win Northumberland council seats, new polling suggests

New polling has suggested that Reform UK could win four council seats in Northumberland when the county goes to the polls later this year.

Every seat on Northumberland County Council will be up for grabs in May for the first time since 2021. The polling, conducted by Britain Elects and the New Statesman, suggest that Nigel Farage’s party could find some success in the county.

The same polling partnership correctly predicted Labour’s unprecedented clean sweep of the county in last year’s General Election. Reform stood in three of the county’s for seats in July, coming second in Cramlington & Killingworth and Ashington & Blyth.

The wards the party is predicted to win are all in those two constituencies. Reform is expected to win in Cramlington West, and is predicted to receive 40% of the vote compared to Labour in second place with 35.6%. The seat is currently held by the Conservatives, who are polling at just 10.7% with current councillor Barry Flux having already confirmed he is stepping down.

Reform is also predicted to win in the Cramlington North ward, another current Tory seat. The party is polling at 40.4%, with Labour again in second on 30.9% and the Tories standing at 16.1%.

However, the polling does not take into account changes to ward boundaries in the area, with a new ward created to reflect increasing population. The existing Cramlington West division will be replaced by Cramlington North West and Cramlington South West. Cramlington East will expand significantly to become the Cramlington East and Double Row ward.

South Blyth, again held by the Conservatives, is also predicted to be won by Reform. The Tories are polling at 15.1%, again falling to third. A tight race is currently predicted between Labour and Reform, with just 0.1% between the two. Reform are currently polling at 37.7%, with Labour on 37.6%.

Reform is also predicted to be victorious in Bedlington Central, and is currently polling 43.1% of the vote compared to Labour in second with 39.8. However, these figures do not take into account Independent incumbent Coun Christine Taylor, who received 48.2% of the vote in 2021 and comfortably beat out both Labour and the Tories.

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