Greens crushed in Gateshead by-election

 I am now home from the Bridges by-election count in Gateshead. The result was:

• Labour 320
• Lib Dem 255
• Green 253
• Reform 166
• Conservative 53

Turnout was a disappointing 17%.

The key changes from May are that the Lib Dems jumped from 4th to 2nd place. Labour held on but their majority is now just 65 in a ward they had previously regarded as a stronghold. Though Labour only just made it over the finishing line in first place, the main losers in Bridges were the Greens. They had high hopes of a victory as they had run Labour relatively close in the May local elections in the ward. They were certainly looking excited when they turned up for the count but their fall from 2nd to 3rd place was a crushing blow for them. Bridges was their only target ward in Gateshead. They looked like a deflated whoopy cushion as they limped away after the declaration.

Reform scored 16%. This is the first time they have contested Bridges. It is not clear from whom they have taken their votes though I suspect quite a few came from both Labour and Conservatives. Note the Conservative total, just 55. The rest of Reform's vote may have come from people who don't normally vote in local elections but this time have come out for Reform.

The crushing of the Greens means that Gateshead Council continues to be made up of Labour and Lib Dem councillors. No other party is strong enough to get elected in the borough.

And finally, I do hope that the Labour candidate Robert Waugh is okay. He was not at the count tonight to accept his election as councillor and I hope he has not gone down with any injuries or illness which kept him away from his moment of victory.