Latest news with #DurhamCounty
BBC News
5 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Durham County Council by-election date after Reform UK resignation
A by-election to decide the final vacant seat on Durham County Council is set to take place in July, following the resignation of a Reform UK Kilburn, who was elected to the Benfieldside ward in May's local elections, was forced to stand down after a week for failing to declare he worked for the local was elected with 1,007 votes, alongside Reform's Sandra Grindle, which saw the party gain seats from Labour and the by-election on 3 July will cost Durham County Council £22,800, a figure described as a "gross waste of taxpayers' money" by former council leader, Liberal Democrat Amanda Hopgood. National legislation means council employees are disqualified from standing as councillors simultaneously. Landslide victory Hopgood sent a petition to residents in Benfieldside calling for Reform UK to cover the cost of the election, according to the Local Democracy Reporting said: "Reform have made a huge issue of reducing council 'waste', but there can be few things more wasteful for the taxpayer than calling a by-election because they could not get their paperwork in order."Despite the setback, Reform UK said it hoped to retain its stronghold on the ward, which also covers Blackhill and Shotley Bridge. The party secured a landslide victory just weeks ago to control the council, with its 65 councillors officially inducted earlier this month.A Reform UK spokesman said: "We understand that Mr Kilburn did not declare his employment to the returning officer as expected and is now required to resign his seat."We look forward to contesting the upcoming by-election to give the people of Benfieldside a strong voice in Durham County Council."A full list of candidates for the July by-election will be released following the nomination deadline on Friday, 6 June. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram
BBC News
16-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
County Championship, day one - radio & text updates as Anderson makes Lancs return
50 up for Notts Durham v Notts 53-0 Doubt creeps into the mind of Haseeb Hameed as he aims a tentative push at Brydon Carse and it beats the edge. The Durham man is generating some pace here. He angles the next ball across the Notts opener, but it strays down leg and Hameed helps it round the corner to the fine leg boundary. That one raced away. Carse's line again strays, offering Ben Slater a bit of width and he punches it off the back foot for four more. Fine start for the visitors here as the openers bring up the 50 stand off 79 balls.
BBC News
11-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Kim McGuinness: Reform need to 'step up' to lead Durham Council
The North East mayor has called on Reform to "step up" as they take control of their first council in the region. Kim McGuinness said she would welcome the party to her combined authority team, but "it's time to move on from what we're used to from Reform, which is pledges and soundbites, they've got a council to deliver".Meanwhile, Green councillor David Francis raised concerns Reform leader Nigel Farage was already interfering too much in the council in remarks made after the elected, Reform UK councillor Darren Grimes said he hoped his party would "deliver at least on people's council priorities, if not on their national priorities". The party made significant gains in the local election held on 2 May, with the party taking control of Durham County Council, among others. Speaking on BBC Politics North, Grimes accused Labour of "moving on" from working people. "People have moved on from Labour, the word that kept coming up [on the doorstep] was 'betrayal'," he said. He added when he was campaigning, people told him their ancestors had voted Labour, but that they were not willing to continue that tradition because "the Labour Party itself has moved away from being the party of workers to being the party of metropolitan liberals". Grimes is considered a frontrunner to become council leader and when asked if she would work with him in cabinet, McGuinness said: "I'll work with anybody who wants to make this region better."They've been democratically elected in Durham, they now need to step up and run Durham County Council and run it well. "It's now time to move on from what we're used to from Reform, which is pledges and soundbites, they've got a council to deliver."We'll welcome someone onto our cabinet when Durham elect a leader or select a leader." Speaking on the leadership of Durham County Council, South Tyneside councillor Francis said: "The difficulty there is, we saw within 24 hours of the election results Nigel Farage announcing what was going to happen in County Durham, not anybody that was from County Durham or elected to represent them." He also said his party had not been given enough credit for its own electoral success. "The Greens have more councillors than Reform at this time, but people would be forgiven for not knowing about it, because we haven't enjoyed the massively disproportionate amount of attention that's given to Nigel Farage and Reform."If we had, I think you'd see very different results." BBC Politics North airs on Sundays at 10.00. Catch up now on BBC BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Daily Mail
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Reform UK's new constituents warn party MUST deliver as Nigel Farage faces battle with council staff on Net Zero, DEI and WFH
Reform UK's new constituents have warned the insurgent party they must deliver following their sweeping local elections victory. Nigel Farage 's outfit gained more than 650 council seats and took control of 10 local authorities in last week's contests, to send a lightning bolt through Westminster. They also won mayoral ballots in Greater Lincolnshire and in Hull and East Yorkshire, while also winning the Runcorn and Helsby parliamentary by-election. Among those councils seized by Reform was Durham County Council, where the party won two-thirds of seats. The council was previously run as a coalition between the Tories, Liberal Democrats and independent councillors. Mr Farage visited the area during the election campaign and attended a celebration event in Newton Aycliffe after his party's stunning success. He used a speech to send a warning to council staff working on climate change or diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives - or anyone who wants to continue working from home - should 'seek alternative careers very quickly'. But voters in Durham told MailOnline they wanted to see any money saved from such schemes ploughed back into local services. They also revealed why they had turned on Labour amid high levels of immigration and winter fuel payments being axed for millions of pensioners. Diane Guy, 63, a dressmaker from Ushaw Moor, County Durham, said: 'I voted for Reform as I can't stand Keir Starmer and I didn't want to vote Labour. 'We have to try something new. The North East has always been Labour but people feel as though they have shot themselves in the foot so are looking elsewhere. 'Now is Reform's chance to prove themselves and if they prove themselves, they may do well at the next general election. 'I like Nigel Farage, he doesn't waffle like other politicians. I can understand why he wants to stop migrants. 'I don't have a problem with genuine migrants and asylum seekers coming here but we need to stop those who have come here on boats. We will see what happens, watch this space.' Donna Snailham, 42, who is unemployed, from Durham, said: 'I would have voted for Reform but I missed the vote. They are our last hope. It is shocking what Labour have done. 'This isn't our county anymore. We came out of the EU to stop people coming here but it is getting worse. This country is knackered. Great Britain isn't great anymore. 'Some of the biggest problems in Durham is that everything is catered to students from accommodation to entertainment. I hope Reform will change that. 'I agree with scrapping DEI and putting it back into local services. Mental health services were scrapped and local services declined. 'I was part of a local support programme and that stopped suddenly. We need more things in Durham for young people.' Rosemary Newby, 79, a retired council worker from Ushaw Moor, County Durham, said: 'I'm disappointed with the whole of the council. 'Labour have taken our money away from us, they have scrapped the winter fuel allowance. People are living in hardship. 'It's a good idea to cut diversity, equality and inclusion staff and to put it back into services. We need more investment in our services. 'Years ago, you used to have someone cleaning the streets but that doesn't happen anymore. We have potholes that have been left, nothing has been done about them.' Ms Newby said people are now looking for alternatives as they were 'fed-up of the last council'. 'Everyone always voted for Labour, but it's gone a different way. They are fed up of Labour. It will take them a long time to get back to where they were. 'We were devastated when they took the winter fuel allowance off us. That was really helpful, and a lot of people wonder why that was taken.' Sadie Harnett, 30, a carer from Spennymoor, County Durham, said: 'When Reform won their seats, they were asking the council leader what to do. 'They had no idea what they were doing. I expected them to get that many seats. I'm not surprised they did so well. 'It's due to immigration. People can't see past the immigration issue in the UK. When I speak to people who vote for Reform all they speak about is immigration. 'We live in Spennymoor and it's 99 per cent white. In the last few years, we have had some asylum seekers move in.' Ms Harnett said she 'didn't have any nice words for Farage', adding: 'He wants to make changes to climate change and DEI but what is the point? 'What does anything matter if you don't help the environment. I find it scary, I'm ready to move.' Her mother, Frances Hartnett, 57, who is unemployed, said: 'Are they going to know what to do? 'I understand why people have voted that way. It's down to immigration. People are getting sick of being called racist. 'Starmer hasn't ingratiated himself to the public. He's annoyed a lot of people. I would say it's a protest vote for Reform but it's not. 'The older generation will say it's because of their pension tax. If he stops migrants coming into the council area then we will lose all the carers and the nurses.' Pete Stewart, 78, a retired local government officer, of Stanhope, County Durham, said: 'I will vote for Reform next time as I am peed off with Labour and Conservatives. 'People are fed up with the two-party system, someone has to break out of that. Conservative and Labour are so close together that it's a wasted vote. 'We have ex-servicemen sleeping in doorways but there are immigrants being housed in hotels. That, to me, is vile. 'Anyone who is here illegally should be sent back. Reform's policy makes sense.'
