In the first Newcastle City Council election since COVID-19 hit, the Labour Party has managed to secure both seats up for grabs in the South and North Jesmond wards.

Tanya Pretswell won the seat vacated by former councillor Wendy Young in North Jesmond, while Charlie Gray clinched the seat for South Jesmond, which was vacated by Arlene Ainsley, Cabinet member for Transport and Air Quality.

The turnout in the first covid-hit election was around 35% in the North Jesmond ward, while turnout in South Jesmond came in at 33.5%. South Jesmond’s eligible electorate is 6,443, with 2,159 voting in this year’s election, while for North Jesmond 2,214 voted out of a 6,325 electorate.

In North Jesmond, Pretswell won with 850 votes for Labour, but there was a strong showing from Liberal Democrat candidate Deborah Burns who claimed 36% of the vote – just 50 votes between the two parties.

Meanwhile in the South Jesmond ward, Labour triumphed by a greater margin. Gray won by a landslide 1,062 votes, at an overall 49%.

Coming in second to him was Olly Scargill of the Conservative Party with 393 votes, taking 18% of the overall votes cast. Tim Dowson (Green) followed with 344 votes, Tom Appleby (Lib Dems) on 252, Brian Moore (North East Party) on 72 and Martin Evison (Reform UK) with 36 votes.

The results of the last local election, held in May 2019, saw Labour manage to retain its South Jesmond seat with the victory of Cllr Lesley Storey, while Cllr Gerry Keating of the Liberal Democrats secured a comfortable re-election for North Jesmond.

In addition to Storey and Keating, Charlie Gray and Tanya Pretswell now join Councillors Felicity Mendleson and Stella Postlethwaite, in South and North wards respectively.

Prestwell has already voiced her gratitude for voters in North Jesmond via Twitter, thanking everyone who came in support of her and the Labour Party on Thursday.

On a larger scale, Newcastle City Council now has 52 Labour councillors, 20 Liberal Democrats, three Newcastle Independents in addition to three independent councillors as a result of Thursday’s local election.

JesmondLocal has contacted the winning councillors post-election and are currently awaiting further comment.