Labour won Amble by 60 votes and Hirst by 140 on 1 October, taking two county seats Reform UK won in 2025. Turnout was 31% and 21%. Full results from the declarations.

Labour has taken two Northumberland County Council seats from Reform UK. Amy Spriggs won the Amble division and Melanie Fox won Hirst, in Ashington, at by-elections on Thursday 1 October. Both seats had gone to Reform at the county elections in May 2025.

The results come from the returning officer’s declarations, published on the council’s current elections page.

Amble

Amy Spriggs (Labour) won by 60 votes, according to the declaration of result (PDF):

Candidate Party Votes
Amy Spriggs Labour 439
Warren Ladyman Reform UK 379
Jenny Richards Conservative 237
Michael Anthony Joyce Restore Britain 76

Electorate 3,692. Ballot papers issued 1,132. Turnout 31%. One paper was rejected as unmarked or void for uncertainty.

Bar chart of the Amble by-election on 1 October 2026: Amy Spriggs, Labour, 439; Warren Ladyman, Reform UK, 379; Jenny Richards, Conservative, 237; Michael Joyce, Restore Britain, 76. Electorate 3,692, 1,132 ballot papers, turnout 31%.
Chart by The Northumberland Post. Source: Northumberland County Council declaration of result, Amble division, 2 October 2026.
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In May 2025 Reform’s Arty Hume won the seat with 514 votes to Labour’s 445 and the Conservatives’ 199, on a turnout of 31.77% (2025 declaration, PDF). The council gave notice of a casual vacancy (PDF) on 25 August after Councillor Hume’s death. His family’s announcement was carried by The Ambler, Amble’s community paper, on 31 July.

Labour’s vote was almost unchanged, 445 then and 439 now. Reform’s fell from 514 to 379, and the Conservative vote rose from 199 to 237.

Hirst

Melanie Fox (Labour) won by 140 votes, according to the declaration of result (PDF):

Candidate Party Votes
Melanie Tuesday Fox Labour 350
Kerry Davison Reform UK 210
Eden Webley Restore Britain 72
David Ferguson Conservative 29
Calvin Clark Liberal Democrats 27
John Victor Allen Independent 11

Electorate 3,408. Ballot papers issued 700. Turnout 21%. One paper was rejected.

Bar chart of the Hirst by-election on 1 October 2026: Melanie Fox, Labour, 350; Kerry Davison, Reform UK, 210; Eden Webley, Restore Britain, 72; David Ferguson, Conservative, 29; Calvin Clark, Liberal Democrats, 27; John Allen, Independent, 11. Electorate 3,408, 700 ballot papers, turnout 21%.
Chart by The Northumberland Post. Source: Northumberland County Council declaration of result, Hirst division, 2 October 2026.
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The Hirst seat fell vacant in an unusual way. The council’s notice of declaration of vacancy (PDF), dated 19 August, says the former councillor John Victor Allen had not attended any meeting of the authority, its committees or sub-committees for six consecutive months. His last recorded attendance was on 18 February 2026 and no reason for the absence was approved by the council before the six months ran out. Under section 85 of the Local Government Act 1972 that ends a councillor’s term automatically.

Mr Allen had won the seat for Reform UK in May 2025 with 434 votes to Labour’s 374 (2025 declaration, PDF). He stood again on 1 October as an independent and received 11 votes.

What it changes at County Hall

Northumberland County Council has 69 seats. The council’s own list of councillors by party, checked on 10 October, now shows:

  • Conservative 28
  • Reform UK 18
  • Labour 10
  • Independent Group 7
  • Liberal Democrats 3
  • Green Party 2
  • Non-aligned 1

The Conservatives run the council as a minority administration, and that does not change. Reform UK won 23 of the 69 seats in May 2025, according to the council’s 2025 results summary, so its group has lost five since, through these two defeats and earlier departures. Labour won eight then and has ten now. Both new councillors are already listed on the council’s site.

What it means for you

  • Amble is represented by Councillor Amy Spriggs, and Hirst by Councillor Melanie Fox. Contact details are on the council’s councillor pages.
  • Two more by-elections are coming, both parish ones in Berwick. The council has published notices of election for the Berwick-upon-Tweed Town Council St Boisil ward and Magdalene ward (PDFs) for Thursday 12 November 2026.
  • Turnout matters at this scale. The Amble result turned on 60 votes from an electorate of 3,692, and Hirst on 140 from 3,408. If you are not registered, the council’s voting and elections pages explain how.

Sources