We have heard on the grapevine that the Conservatives in Gateshead have imploded on the eve of the local elections. Perhaps we should not get too carried away as there was little to implode anyway. The last time a Conservative councillor was elected in Gateshead was in 1992 and much of that was the result of the Conservatives doing well nationally - they had just pulled off a surprise general election victory and John Major continued as Prime Minister. Given the history of the following 5 years, Major probably regretted his victory in 1992.
So, back to 2026, and we have learnt that there is deep unhappiness in the depleted ranks of the Conservatives at the merger of the Gateshead constituencies with Newcastle and Jarrow. Hopes of getting a full or near full slate of candidates for the May local elections are looking unlikely to be achieved. Indeed, it will be a challenge to get enough candidates to fly the flag in each ward, therefore leaving some wards uncontested.
The Conservatives may seem a bit irrelevant in Gateshead and to a significant extent, they are. But in tight seats, a couple of hundred people voting for the Conservatives rather than the Lib Dems has, in the past, saved Labour. So, the Conservatives do have some relevance in Gateshead. What we don't know is whether or not the Conservatives have lost members to Reform. I guess we will find out when nominations for the local elections are closed.
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