Jarrow MP expresses ‘concerns’ over scale of Labour losses at South Tyneside Council

The Member of Parliament for Jarrow, Kate Osborne, has reacted to the heavy losses suffered by the Labour Party in the 2024 local elections in South Tyneside.

The party lost ten seats to independent candidates and the Green Party despite the Labour Party doing well both regionally and nationally.

Following the disappointing results, the Jarrow MP highlighted that the ongoing industrial action within the Council’s waste department was a big contributing factor.

Ms Osborne commented: “Nationally the Conservatives suffered their worst losses in 40 years. Congratulations to Chris Webb the new Labour MP for Blackpool South who won with a huge swing to Labour - as Keir Starmer said this win is a message directly to Rishi Sunak to call a General Election.

“Locally though we must be concerned at the size and scale of the losses we had at South Tyneside Council.

“Losing ten seats when nationally Labour is winning the fight to change our country for the better is very worrying.

“Any good that South Tyneside Council is doing is overshadowed by their failure to resolve the dispute with the bin workers and despite my successful intervention to broker a last minute deal to suspend the action, the damage was done over the last few months.

Read more: Local elections 2024: Full list of results for South Tyneside

“This dispute should have been resolved much sooner and I hope that the talks now progress and there's no need for the workers to resume their action.

“The local factors around the greenbelt and previous administration came up on the doorstep and frequently at my regular campaigning sessions and in my constituency casework.

Sign up to the Shields Gazette’s newsletters to receive headline round-ups and breaking news alerts

“I hope the Labour councillors in South Tyneside Labour Group take last night's results very seriously and take action to change what is needed.

“Together South Tyneside Labour Group and our constituency Labour Party’s must work jointly to ensure we regain people’s trust and deliver for residents.

“Commiserations to those that lost and congratulations to all those that won locally and nationally.

“Particularly pleased to see Labour returned in the ward where I live.

Read more: Local Elections 2024: Independents and Green Party celebrate a successful night in South Tyneside

“As always I will not shy away from representing my constituents and demanding better from the Tories nationally and from Council's locally.

“I look forward to continuing to deliver for my constituents and to kicking the Conservatives out at the General Election and I hope that Election comes very very soon.”

Cllr Tracey Dixon, leader of South Tyneside Council has called on the Labour Party to “restart” in the borough as it looks to bounce back from the disappointing election.