Local elections 2024: South Tyneside Council confirms full list of candidates

The final list of candidates standing to become South Tyneside’s next councillors has been published ahead of local elections next month.

Around 50 candidates have put their names forward in the latest round of local government elections scheduled to take place on Thursday, May 2.

As South Tyneside Council holds its elections by ‘thirds’ for its 54 councillors, one seat is up for grabs in each council ward with 18 councillors due to be elected.

Campaigners, former councillors and previous local election candidates are just some of the people throwing their hats in the ring to contest seats this year.

With seven councillors standing down at the end of their terms in May, 2024, South Tyneside Council is expected to see several new faces once the polls have closed.

The council’s ruling Labour Group and opposition Green Party, Independents and Conservatives will be contesting and defending seats across the borough.

The Labour Group and Green Party will be standing candidates in all 18 wards this year, and several senior Labour councillors are standing for re-election.

This includes councillor Tracey Dixon, leader of South Tyneside Council and councillor Audrey Huntley, the council’s deputy leader, as well as cabinet member Joanne Bell and the current Mayor of South Tyneside, John McCabe.

In previous years, the Conservatives have stood candidates in the majority of South Tyneside’s electoral wards but in 2024, the party is only standing candidates in four wards.

Councillor Ian Forster, the sole Conservative representative on the council, will be defending his seat in Cleadon and East Boldon ward.

Around 14 independent candidates are also standing across the borough, with incumbent independent David Kennedy defending his seat in the Primrose ward.

Elsewhere, Reform UK will be standing candidates in a bid to gain seats on the council in both the Harton and Monkton wards.

Alongside the council election, voters in Sunderland, Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland and South Tyneside are choosing a North East Mayor.

And South Tyneside voters alongside Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland and Sunderland will also help decide on the Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner.

Under new election rules, voters will need to show photo ID at a polling station.

The new requirement was introduced by the Government’s Elections Act and to find out which ID you can use in the polling station, visit the Electoral Commission website.

If you do not have one of the accepted types of photo ID, such as a passport or driving licence, you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate at https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate or by completing and submitting a paper form to the elections office.

The deadline to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate is 5pm on Wednesday, April 24.

Voters must be on the Electoral Register to apply for a certificate and need to provide a photo, full name, date of birth, the address at which they are registered to vote and their National Insurance number.

The deadline to register to vote is midnight on Tuesday, April 16, and you can apply online at https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.

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

Here is the full list of the South Tyneside Council candidates vying for your vote next month:

BEACON AND BENTS

Jabed Hossain (Labour Party)

Sue Stonehouse (Green Party)

BEDE

John Michael Chilton (Green Party)

Terry Foggon (Independent)

Margaret Peacock (Labour Party)

BIDDICK AND ALL SAINTS

Chris Davies (Green Party)

Shiela Hussain (Labour Party)

BOLDON COLLIERY

Joanne Bell (Labour Party)

Simon Kevin Oliver (Independent)

Darius Seago (Green Party)

CLEADON AND EAST BOLDON

Kevin Brydon (Labour Party)

Rhiannon Sian Curtis (Green Party)

Ian Forster (Conservative Party)

CLEADON PARK

Steven Alexander Harrison (Independent)

John Gordon Riley (Green Party)

Ken Stephenson (Labour Party)

FELLGATE AND HEDWORTH

Nicola Alison Cook (Green Party)

Ian Jason Diamond (Independent)

Audrey Elizabeth Fay-Huntley (Labour and Co-operative Party)

Tony Roberts (Independent)

HARTON

Karen Dix (Labour Party)

Jim Mouat (Reform UK)

Karen Myers (Independent)

Colin Robert Tosh (Green Party)

HEBBURN NORTH

Annette Chapman (Green Party)

Brian Goodman (Independent)

Liz McHugh (Labour Party)

HEBBURN SOUTH

John Gerard McCabe (Labour Party)

Briony Sommers (Green Party)

HORSLEY HILL

Phil Brown (Independent)

Dorothy Grainger (Labour Party)

Carrie Danielle Richardson (Green Party)

Stan Wildhirt (Conservative Party Candidate)

MONKTON

Joan Hamilton (Independent)

Joan Margaret Keegan (Labour Party)

Matty McKenna (Green Party)

Marian Elizabeth Stead (Reform UK)

PRIMROSE

Elaine Francis (Green Party)

David Kennedy (Independent)

Stephen Pearson (Labour Party)

SIMONSIDE AND REKENDYKE

Edward Malcolm (Labour Party)

Bethany Dionne Telford (Green Party)

Kenneth George Wood  (Independent)

WEST PARK

Nicky Gynn (Green Party)

Justin Knight (Independent)

Sean McDonagh (Labour and Co-operative Party)

WESTOE

Sandra Duncan (Labour Party)

Georgina Holt (Green Party)

Kate Owens-Palmer (Independent)

WHITBURN AND MARSDEN

Tracey Allison Dixon (Labour Party)

Edward Anthony Littley (Green Party)

Heidi Wildhirt (Conservative Party)

WHITELEAS

Robin Anthony Coombes (Independent)

Michelle Turnbull (Labour Party)

Dawn Wildhirt (Conservative Party)

Sophie-Jane Williams (Green Party)