Newcastle Independents

28/11/2023

In March this year, I was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, which cannot be cured. Sadly, many people with pancreatic cancer are not diagnosed until they are terminally ill because it does not present many symptoms in many people and many of its symptoms are more commonly associated with minor ailments.

When I was diagnosed, I decided I would continue to serve Lemington Ward to the best of my ability while I was still able to balance the needs of the ward, my family and the fight against the cancer. While it has been a struggle at times, I hope I have been able to do this successfully and I have also had an opportunity to raise awareness of pancreatic cancer and its symptoms with the strong support of Newcastle City Council.

However, a recent deterioration in my health has led me to the conclusion that I can no longer balance the needs of my family, fulfilling my role as councillor to the level that Lemington Ward deserves and fighting the cancer. However determined I am to continue as councillor and serve the remainder of my term of office (up to May next year), it is clear that it is no longer possible. Therefore, it is with a very heavy heart and a great deal of sadness that I have had to make the decision to stand down as councillor for Lemington Ward from today.

I am grateful to the many residents who have given me their support in the ballot box and to those who have helped me delivering update newsletters to residents. Being a local councillor can be a challenging role because councillors do not have an office and staff, like an MP has, and most councillors have to maintain a day job so the time they give is often to the detriment of family. Therefore, the help I have had from residents to support elements of the role has always been very much appreciated by me.

I doubt I will disappear completely and do all I can to support the two remaining Lemington Ward councillors and ensure that any outstanding issues are handed over. However, in the months of life I have left, I intend to give more time to my family because, without their support, I would have found it far more difficult to serve the people of Lemington Ward and campaign on numerous issues since I first got involved in local politics in 2006.

It has been a huge honour to serve as councillor for the ward I grew up in and where I have lived for almost all of my life, and I will be forever grateful to residents of Lemington Ward who gave me the chance to serve as our local councillor.

(Photo of the Newcastle Independents and independent councillors taken at the election count in May)

16/11/2023

Newcastle Independents councillor and Newcastle City Council doing all they can to raise awareness of pancreatic cancer on and

Jason Smith bravely revealed his diagnosis earlier this month and wants to raise awareness of a disease that has the lowest survival rate of all common cancers

08/11/2023

17/07/2023

Interesting developments in the race to be the Mayor of the North East.

North of Tyne Mayor Jamie Driscoll has sensationally quit the Labour Party and will now be the independent North of Tyne Mayor. This is a spectacular own goal for the Labour Party.

Meanwhile, the Labour Party has adopted Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Kim McGuinness as the party's candidate for mayor.

Newcastle's independent councillors have written to Kim McGuinness a number of times asking when she will be standing down as PCC or whether she plans to continue. To date, our letters have been ignored but we believe that local residents have a right to know whether she plans to do two well paid roles to give her an income that is almost as large as the UK Prime Minister.

Newcastle Independents Leader Cllr Tracey Mitchell said: "The Labour Party has announced that members have annointed the national London HQ choice of candidate for Mayor of the North East.

"Through their actions, the Labour Party has tarnished devolution to the North East and, by banning the respected North of Tyne Mayor, their candidate will be illegitimate in the eyes of many Labour Party members.

"Kim McGuinness has failed to engage with independent councillors as the Police and Crime Commissioner and she is yet to deliver on her promises from the last election. How can people in the North East have faith that she will deliver as Mayor when she has failed as Police and Crime Commissioner?

"We are sorry that it has been necessary for Jamie Driscoll to have to quit the Labour Party but he and many Labour Party members have learned that national parties care only about the narrow self interest of a London based elite.

"Newcastle Independents believe that the Labour Party has damaged their campaign from the outset and made a mess of devolution for the North East before a single vote is cast. The North East needs a Mayor who can command the confidence and have the credibility across the whole of the North East. Kim McGuinness cannot even command the confidence of the whole of the Labour Party in the North East after gaining the nomination through Labour HQ dirty tricks."

The North of Tyne mayor says he will now sit as an independent and run the the North East mayoral election next May, if he can raise £25,000 by the end of August

21/06/2023

18/05/2023

It is now 2 weeks since we sent a second letter to the Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner asking her to clarify her position in light of her decision to put herself forward for the North East Mayor.

In response to the first letter, we were advised by one of her 42 employees to write to her political email address. Sadly, true to form, she hasn't replied.

05/05/2023

Thank you to everyone who voted for the Newcastle Independents candidates in the local elections yesterday.

While the result in Callerton and Throckley Ward was disappointing, we are delighted that Adam Mitchell was elected in Denton and Westerhope Ward and Nix Joanne elected in Lemington Ward.

With Margaret Donnelly's election as an independent councillor in Chapel Ward, there will now be a team of 7 Newcastle Independents and independent councillors in the council chamber.

24/03/2023

24/12/2022

Merry Christmas to everyone in Newcastle and beyond from Newcastle Independents

08/09/2022

Newcastle Independents would like to express profound sadness on the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

She dedicated her life to our country and its people. Many of us have known no other head of state so she was a reminder of our collective past and a constant in the life of our nation.

Our thoughts and prayers are with King Charles III as the nation looks to him in the days and weeks ahead. While the country mourns the death of our monarch, we extend sincere condolences to the Royal Family on the loss of a mother, grandmother and great grandmother.

14/06/2022

Northumbria Police are appealing for witnesses to an incident in Lemington yesterday, which left two children hospitalised. We ask that anyone with information about this incident should get in touch with Northumbria Police.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the children and their families. We hope they make a swift recovery.

This incident remains the subject of a police investigation and, because of this, we will not speculate on the causes of this collision.

However, this incident is a reminder for all of us of the potential of motorbikes, like cars, to do serious harm to pedestrians.

For too long, motorbikes have been flying round the streets in hotspots around the city, including across the whole of the Outer West, that residents and councillors have been expressing concern about to Northumbria Police and the Police & Crime Commissioner.

The police and council must do all in their power to ensure we have safer streets.