Here’s the final list of candidates standing to become South Tyneside’s next councillors.
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.
Here is the full list of the South Tyneside Council candidates:
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)
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WHITBURN AND MARSDEN
Tracey Allison Dixon (Labour Party)
Edward Anthony Littley (Green Party)
Heidi Wildhirt (Conservative Party Candidate)
WHITELEAS
Robin Anthony Coombes (Independent)
Michelle Turnbull (Labour Party)
Dawn Wildhirt (Conservative Party)
Sophie-Jane Williams (Green Party)