Councillor to stand in by-election he triggered

A former councillor who lost his seat after failing to turn up to a single council meeting for six months will stand in the by-election he triggered.

John Allen was elected to represent Ashington's Hirst ward on Northumberland County Council in May 2025.

Allen, who was a member of Reform UK at the time, was expelled from the party later that year following allegations he made online comments saying he wanted to shoot the then prime minister Keir Starmer.

He lost the seat on 20 August after failing to attend any council meetings or sub-committees since February 18.

The 1972 Local Government Act requires a council to declare a councillor's seat vacant "immediately" if that member fails to attend meetings for six consecutive months without council approval.

Polls open on 1 October with Allen running as an Independent.

Labour, the Conservatives, Reform and the Liberal Democrats are all standing candidates along with Restore Britain.

Allen won the Hirst seat from Labour Co-op incumbent Ken Parry in 2025 with a majority of 60 votes.

The Conservatives are currently the county council's largest party with 28 seats.

Reform are the official opposition with 18 seats, followed by Labour with eight.

The Independent Group has seven councillors, while the Liberal Democrats have three and the Greens have two. One councillor sits as a non-aligned member.

A by-election will take place in Amble on the same day following the death of Reform councillor Arty Hume.

Due to the current makeup of the council, there is no prospect of the balance of power shifting, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

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