A former councillor who lost his seat for failing to turn up to a single council meeting for six months will stand in the by-election he triggered.
John Allen will stand as an Independent in Ashington’s Hirst ward on Northumberland County Council next month after losing his seat on August 20.
Mr Allen was initially elected in May 2025 representing Reform UK. However, he was expelled from the party following allegations he made online comments saying he wanted to shoot then-Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Mr Allen lost his seat in accordance with rules set out in the 1972 Local Government Act. He had failed to attend any meetings of the council or its sub-committees since February 18.
The legislation 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.
Voters are set to head to the polls on Thursday, October 1. Alongside Mr Allen, Labour, the Conservatives, Reform and the Liberal Democrats are all standing candidates along with Restore Britain, the new right wing party formed by ex-Reform MP Rupert Lowe.
The full candidate list is as follows:
- John Allen – Independent
- Calvin Clark – Liberal Democrats
- Kerry Davison – Reform UK
- David Ferguson – The Conservative Party
- Melanie Fox – Labour
- Eden Webley – Restore
Historically a safe Labour seat, Mr Allen won the Hirst seat from Labour Co-op incumbent Ken Parry with a majority of 60 votes in 2025 as Reform secured significant gains to become the council’s official opposition.
The party’s rise came predominantly at the expense of Labour, who were reduced to just eight seats.
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The Conservatives currently remain the largest party with 28 seats. Reform are the official opposition with 18 seats, followed by Labour on 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.
The by-election will be held on the same day as one in Amble 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.
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