Independent Councillor for Monument Ward, Newcastle upon Tyne.
I’m not standing for council in 2026
I’m just as convinced as I’ve always been about the importance of local government and local democracy.
The difference this time is that I know I can’t offer people the change that is needed. And I’m not willing to ask people for their votes if I don’t think that I can make things better for them.
To have a real impact in politics you have to be part of a team – and my team’s not ready yet.
I’ve joined Your Party because it offers a genuine opportunity for a socialist approach to government focused on standing up for residents; fighting to protect services; supporting communities; and rejecting racism.
We’re a new party, however, and we haven’t had the time to work with communities in Newcastle on a plan for our city. So that’s what I’m going to be focusing on over the next year.
It’s been a privilege to represent Monument Ward over the last 8 years. Thank you for having me as one of your councillors. I’m still here until May 7, so if there’s anything I can help with, please get in touch.
What does Newcastle need?
On May 7 Newcastle City Council has ‘all-out’ elections – which means every seat in the council is being contested. The Labour Party, which has held the council since 2011, has already lost its majority and is expected to lose more seats. Other parties are competing to take over – all claiming to be able to do a better job of running Newcastle.
The first step to doing better is knowing what the problems are – with the city and with the way it is currently run.
It’s a big topic and one I find the major parties avoid. They tend to pick one or two issues and make promises about those.
I think we can only change things when we fully understand them. I originally set up this site so that I could tell people about the council and my work as a councillor. I’ve shared what I’ve learned from my time as a councillor on two new pages: What’s wrong with Newcastle and What’s wrong with Newcastle City Council
I’ll be adding more pages on specific issues. If anyone has any suggestions for what I should cover, please get in touch.
Jane For Monument 