The Middlesbrough Borough Council by election for Nunthorpe ward on Thursday 4 December, is another opportunity for Reform UK’s encroachment on the territory of Labour, Conservatives and LibDems. Although who Reform’s top adversary is remains to be seen. All five major parties are fielding candidates.
Nunthorpe
Nunthorpe is unlike any other Middlesbrough ward. Not so long ago it was five miles outside Middlesbrough, until new-build developments from the 1960s covered the fields between town and suburb.
Originally a tiny hamlet around a medieval convent of dubious repute, in the 19th Century a handful of iron barons built their mansions there. Then a small suburb grew up around the railway halt.
In the late 1950s Wimpey built a sprawling housing estate near the station. The main customers were intended to be ICI managers, but Middlesbrough’s lower middle class flocked to the modern new builds.
Since then, new housing has continued to spring up in this the southernmost edge of Middlesbrough. Neat houses in tidy streets have taken the place of cereal crops and rundown farm buildings. But you can still look over fields to the wild beauty of Roseberry Topping.
There’s still that resistance to being a part of Middlesbrough, especially with the council’s plans to expand housing there.
The candidates
Nunthorpe ward is not Labour. Its councillors tend to be Independent, Conservative or LibDem. Nevertheless, Labour is fielding a candidate, local resident Richard Lewis.
The Reform threat is at the front of Labour’s mind. In response to a request for information from the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Lewis’ team replied that the progress initiated by Labour MP Luke Myer and Mayor Chris Cooke would be jeopardised by a Reform win. Lewis also mentioned improving public transport links.
Martin Lyon is standing as “Local Conservative” – a new name no doubt to avoid the national Tory party’s currently toxic brand. His agent is Mieke Smiles, the ward’s existing Conservative councillor. She bought a stunning house near the station when she became Deputy to Andy Preston’s Independent Mayor. A Nunthorpe resident of 20 years’ standing, Lyon has experience as a local parish councillor.
Again responding to the Local Democracy Reporting Service survey he claimed he would use his experience in business and on the Parish Council in his councillor role.
He promised to oppose future developments, demand amenities for existing plans, protect green space, question Section 106 funding, demand PCSO presence, and tackle parking.
The Greens are fielding Sam Boardman. If elected he will be the only Green on the council.
Boardman has made a plea for voters to trust him as a hard-working man from Nunthorpe. He promises a real, new and hopeful type of politics.
The outgoing councillor Morgan McClintock is a Liberal Democrat. At this election the LibDems are fielding Adrian Walker – a fixture in local politics. He is Chair of the Parish Council and is involved in a number of local initiatives that he created himself. He co-founded ourGreenways, a local environmental organisation. He led campaigns against developers’ plans and set up the local Neighbourhood Watch.
Last but certainly not least is Reform UK, fielding Jo Rush. Hers is a well-planned campaign. After a first leaflet featuring Nigel Farage, she has focused on Nunthorpe issues in several leaflets. Her Facebook page mentions immigration only once, on a short list of national Reform policies. Her comments include investigating developer funding for the ward, tackling the nuisance of leaves from neighbours’ trees (good luck with that one), and banning polling stations at schools.
It helps that Rush grew up in Nunthorpe and went to school there. She’s a military wife and claims to have worked on a community project in Kenya.
If elected she will be Middlesbrough’s only Reform councillor. In a town recently hit by race riots, will this Reform-lite candidate soil her squeaky clean local-campaigner image and inject Reform’s xenophobic politics into the Council Chamber?
Polling information
Polling will be open from 7am to10pm at the ward’s two polling stations: Avenue Primary School and Chandlers Ridge Academy.
If you have missed the postal vote deadline you can deliver your form to either polling station on the day.
Voter ID is now required. You can find the list of eligible documents on the Electoral Commission website.
The tenure of whoever wins this by election will be short: all Middlesbrough’s councillors face the local elections in 2027.
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