Council by-election · Thursday, 1 October 2026

Northumberland County: Hirst ward

Name: Northumberland County: Hirst ward council by-election, 1 October 2026
Start: 2026-10-01T07:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-10-01T22:00:00+01:00
Location: Northumberland County: Hirst ward

Archive. This election has already happened. Everything below is shown as it stood at the time: the candidates, their published positions as of the campaign, and household figures under the law of 2026. Nothing here is a judgement of what happened afterwards.

6 candidates stood here, polling day 1 October 2026. The same page for each of them, in the order you will see on the ballot paper. Read them all, or start with the one you have heard of.

6candidates for one seat

4sourced positions

2with something published

2named sources

See the 6 candidates In a hurry? Two-minute guide →

The 6 on your paper in the order you’ll see them

No. 1Independent
John Victor Allen
No statement supplied.
Nothing published that we could source yet
No. 2Liberal Democrats
Calvin Clark
“I’m Calvin Clark, and I’m standing as a candidate for Hirst Division because I want to see strong, reliable and accountable representation for our community.”
Published on: crime and policing, health and care
No. 3Reform UK
Kerry Davison
“I am absolutely delighted to formally announce that I am standing as your Reform UK candidate for the upcoming Northumberland County…”
Published on: housing, health and care
No. 4The Conservative Party Candidate
David Ferguson
No statement supplied.
Nothing published that we could source yet
No. 5Labour Party
Melanie Tuesday Fox
No statement supplied.
Nothing published that we could source yet
No. 6Restore Britain
Eden Webley
No statement supplied.
Nothing published that we could source yet

The result, Thursday, 1 October 2026

Candidate	Party	Votes	Share
Melanie Tuesday Fox (elected)	Labour Party	350	50.1%
Kerry Davison	Reform UK	210	30%
Eden Webley	Restore Britain	72	10.3%
David Ferguson	Conservative and Unionist Party	29	4.1%
Calvin Clark	Liberal Democrats	27	3.9%
John Victor Allen	Independent	11	1.6%

699 valid votes, turnout 20.5% of 3,408 registered electors, 1 spoilt ballot. Result data from Democracy Club (source). Past results describe the past; each election is a new contest.

In this ward 6 candidates from 6 parties or independent slots are standing. Parties do not stand everywhere; here is how to find out whether yours stands nearby.

This is a council seat. A councillor's win changes what the council decides: council tax, housing repairs and allocations, planning, social care, schools admissions, parking, bins, libraries. It does not change national tax, benefits or NHS policy, so this page shows only positions published for this council election, and no national party pledges are implied.

Sourced positions found for 2 of 6 candidates

Compare candidates side by side

You're voting for

Your local councillor

Councillors sit on the council that runs services where you live. They set the council's budget and council tax, and decide local planning applications. Here, for Northumberland County: Hirst ward.

What this office decides

Planning. Whether new homes, extensions and developments get permission.
Waste and streets. Bins, recycling, street cleaning, fly-tipping.
Council tax. The level you pay, within limits set nationally.
Social care. In county and unitary councils, care for older and disabled people.
Parks and libraries. Opening, funding, closing.
Council housing. Repairs, allocations and, in many areas, homelessness.

What it does not

NHS policy and waiting times. Parliament and the NHS.
Income tax and benefits. Parliament.
Immigration. Parliament.
Policing policy. The Home Office and your Police and Crime Commissioner or mayor.
Schools' curriculum. Government and, for academies, their trusts.

Candidates often campaign on things their office cannot change. That is not dishonest in itself — an MP can press a council, a councillor can lobby government — but it is worth knowing which is which. Summarised from the Local Government Association and UK Parliament descriptions of each role.

How this vote is counted: first past the post. One cross; the candidate with the most votes wins.Worked example

Every ballot with one cross is counted for that candidate. The one with the most votes wins, even without a majority. Example: A 4,000, B 3,900, C 2,100. A wins with 40% of the vote; the 60% cast for others elect nobody. There are no second preferences; a vote for a candidate who does not win has no further effect.

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TopicSearch every position on this ballot

Showing 6 of 6 candidates. Everyone on the ballot, in ballot-paper order.

Numbered as on the ballot paper. Open a candidate to see their positions on the ten topics, with sources. Until a household is described, only positions that apply to everyone are counted.

1John Victor Allen

Independent

ShowHide

No published position found yet.

Democracy Club profile

In their own words

No statement to voters supplied to Democracy Club.

Stood before

Northumberland council, Hirst ward, May 2025 (Reform UK) — elected
Northumberland council, Hirst ward, May 2021 (Reform UK) — not elected
Northamptonshire council, Talavera ward, May 2017 (UK Independence Party (UKIP)) — not elected

Previous candidacies from Democracy Club. A record of standing, not a judgement.

Record in office

No voting record is shown for any council candidate: councils record votes by name only in limited cases (in England, budget and council tax decisions), and no dataset of them exists. Positions below come from what the candidate and their party have published.

Open John's page →

Where this information comes from

Positions are quoted from the candidate's or party's own published material and official records, each with its source. Where a candidate has given Democracy Club a statement to voters, it is shown word for word. If you are this candidate and something here is wrong, email us and we will check it against the source.

Published positions on the ten topics

Nothing published that we could source, yet. A councillor sits on the council that sets council tax and decides planning, housing repairs and allocations, social care, bins, parking, libraries and, in most areas, school admissions. It cannot change national tax, benefits or NHS policy.

Are you this candidate, or their agent? If something here is wrong, email us and we will check it against the source.
Look yourself: the council's election notices · leaflets archived for this area (electionleaflets.org, a Democracy Club project).

1John Victor Allen

Independent

2Calvin Clark

Liberal Democrats

ShowHide

Published on:Health and careCrime and policing

Democracy Club profile Party site

In their own words

I’m Calvin Clark, and I’m standing as a candidate for Hirst Division because I want to see strong, reliable and accountable representation for our community.

If elected, my priorities would be:

* Keep our Park Run — supporting this valuable community activity and helping ensure it can continue. * Clean and safe streets — tackling litter, fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour and pressing the council to keep our streets maintained. * Care in the community — supporting vulnerable residents and making sure people in Hirst can access the help they need. * Better neighbourhoods — championing parks, play areas and community spaces and working for improvements where residents identify problems. * Help local businesses — supporting our high streets and local businesses and recognising the contribution they make to Hirst. * Always listen — making myself available to residents and taking their concerns seriously. * Speak up for residents — challenging decisions at County Council when they don’t work for Hirst. * Be visible and proactive — getting out into the community, listening to people directly and following issues through. * Reliable and accountable representation — keeping residents informed about what I am doing on their behalf and being answerable for my work at the council.

For me, local politics should be about the practical issues that affect people every day: our streets, parks, neighbourhoods, businesses and the services people rely on. I want to make sure Hirst has representation that is present, engaged and focused on the community.

Statement to voters supplied by the candidate to Democracy Club, retrieved 2026-09-28. Reproduced unedited.

Stood before

No previous candidacy on Democracy Club's record. Every candidate has this section.

Record in office

Open Calvin's page →

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the ten topics

What the tags mean

Source: Own wordsSource: ManifestoSource: Leaflet what candidates and parties publish themselves. Source: Public recordSource: Third party a public record, or someone else’s report. Candidate statements and leaflets are published as written; we check they are real, not that they are true.

Money and cost of living

Nothing published on this yet.

Housing and property

Nothing published on this yet.

Healthcare and social care

What this candidate says

What they say Source: Own words

Says he will support vulnerable residents and make sure people in Hirst can access the help they need.

In their exact words Source: Own words

* Care in the community — supporting vulnerable residents and making sure people in Hirst can access the help they need.

Sourced: Statement to voters: Calvin Clark

* Care in the community — supporting vulnerable residents and making sure people in Hirst can access the help they need.

Statement to voters: Calvin Clark, Calvin Clark (candidate), via Democracy Club. Retrieved 19 September 2026. Archived copy. https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/person/139500/

Education and universities

Nothing published on this yet.

Environment, climate and energy

Nothing published on this yet.

Transport and roads

Nothing published on this yet.

Immigration and borders

Nothing published on this yet.

Crime, policing and justice

What this candidate says

What they say Source: Own words

Says his priorities include clean and safe streets: tackling litter, fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour.

In their exact words Source: Own words

* Clean and safe streets — tackling litter, fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour and pressing the council to keep our streets maintained.

Sourced: Statement to voters: Calvin Clark

* Clean and safe streets — tackling litter, fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour and pressing the council to keep our streets maintained.

Statement to voters: Calvin Clark, Calvin Clark (candidate), via Democracy Club. Retrieved 19 September 2026. Archived copy. https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/person/139500/

Defence, foreign affairs and the EU

Nothing published on this yet.

Equality and rights

Nothing published on this yet.

2Calvin Clark

Liberal Democrats

3Kerry Davison

Reform UK

ShowHide

Published on:HousingHealth and care

Democracy Club profile Party site

In their own words

I am absolutely delighted to formally announce that I am standing as your Reform UK candidate for the upcoming Northumberland County Council by-election in the Hirst Ward.

The Hirst isn’t just an election boundary to me. I was born right there on George Street. I am a proud miner’s daughter, my dad worked at Woodhorn and Ellington pits, and our family lived through the strike. In fact, I was born in the Hirst, my surname should be Hirst!

We have spent the last 15 months working hard on the ground to bring active, visible representation back to our community.

We made history in May 2025 by breaking the traditional Labour monopoly on Ashington Town Council for the first time. As your Central Ward Town Councillor, I have spent the last year working on the frontline for our town across our key decision-making bodies. I sit actively on our Finance and General Services Committee, the Personnel Committee, and the Partnership Board. I am also a representative on the CCTV Group, the Youth Coordination Group, the Allotment Liaison Group, the Ashington Town Forum, and the NALC County Committee. I haven’t just talked about change; We have been delivering it.

Now, I am ready to take that exact same work ethic to County Hall to fight for the Hirst. For too long, our ward has suffered from a complete lack of engagement from its previous representative, who failed to attend a single council meeting for six consecutive months.

While the media and Labour try to play political blame games, the facts are simple: the moment he failed to perform his duties, he was booted out of Reform UK for good reason. We don’t protect inactivity; we demand results.

Our community faces real, urgent infrastructure pressures. I am fully focused on ensuring that the ongoing Hirst Master Plan and regional regeneration programmes deliver actual, tangible results for our neighbourhood rather than just promises on paper.

A staggering 83% of all licensed Houses in Multiple Occupation in Northumberland are crammed strictly into Ashington and Blyth, saturating the Hirst and Central wards. Our local youngsters and disabled residents are being completely ignored on housing waiting lists, and we must secure the necessary funding and support to look after our own local people.

At the same time, our vital public services are collapsing. Local residents cannot get an NHS dentist appointment or even a routine appointment with a GP, while our frontline infrastructure is left to deteriorate. I am standing to deliver results from these ongoing schemes and enforce a common-sense policy of local houses for local people, alongside real investment in our healthcare and public spaces.

This campaign isn’t starting on election day—we are already out there doing the work. Over the next month, our campaign teams will be thick on the ground across every single street in the Hirst. The turquoise wave is coming in again, and we are ready to fight for you.

But having your support on the doorsteps and on social media is only the first step. To deliver real, lasting change, we need every single resident to turn that support into action. We need you to actually get out and make your voice heard at the ballot box when polling day arrives on Thursday, 1st October 2026.

Statement to voters supplied by the candidate to Democracy Club, retrieved 2026-09-28. Reproduced unedited.

Stood before

Northumberland council, Ashington Central ward, May 2025 (Reform UK) — not elected

Previous candidacies from Democracy Club. A record of standing, not a judgement.

Record in office

Open Kerry's page →

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the ten topics

What the tags mean

Money and cost of living

Nothing published on this yet.

Housing and property

What this candidate says

What they say Source: Own words

Says she would enforce what she calls a common-sense policy of local houses for local people, citing the concentration of licensed houses in multiple occupation in Ashington and Blyth.

In their exact words Source: Own words

I am standing to deliver results from these ongoing schemes and enforce a common-sense policy of local houses for local people, alongside real investment in our healthcare and public spaces.

Sourced: Statement to voters: Kerry Davison

I am standing to deliver results from these ongoing schemes and enforce a common-sense policy of local houses for local people, alongside real investment in our healthcare and public spaces.

Stated aim, no measurable commitment found Statement to voters: Kerry Davison, Kerry Davison (candidate), via Democracy Club. Retrieved 25 September 2026. Archived copy. https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/person/119998/

Healthcare and social care

What this candidate says

What they say Source: Own words

Says she is standing for real investment in local healthcare, stating that residents cannot get NHS dentist or routine GP appointments.

In their exact words Source: Own words

Local residents cannot get an NHS dentist appointment or even a routine appointment with a GP, while our frontline infrastructure is left to deteriorate.

Sourced: Statement to voters: Kerry Davison

Local residents cannot get an NHS dentist appointment or even a routine appointment with a GP, while our frontline infrastructure is left to deteriorate.

Education and universities

Nothing published on this yet.

Environment, climate and energy

Nothing published on this yet.

Transport and roads

Nothing published on this yet.

Immigration and borders

Nothing published on this yet.

Crime, policing and justice

Nothing published on this yet.

Defence, foreign affairs and the EU

Nothing published on this yet.

Equality and rights

Nothing published on this yet.

3Kerry Davison

Reform UK

4David Ferguson

The Conservative Party CandidateBallot-paper description. Registered party: Conservative and Unionist Party.

ShowHide

No published position found yet.

Democracy Club profile Party site

In their own words

No statement to voters supplied to Democracy Club.

Stood before

Northumberland council, Seaton With Spital ward, May 2025 (Conservative and Unionist Party) — not elected
Northumberland council, Hartley ward, May 2021 (Conservative and Unionist Party) — elected

Previous candidacies from Democracy Club. A record of standing, not a judgement.

Record in office

Open David's page →

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the ten topics

Are you this candidate, or their agent? If something here is wrong, email us and we will check it against the source.
Look yourself: the council's election notices · the party's site · leaflets archived for this area (electionleaflets.org, a Democracy Club project).

4David Ferguson

Conservative and Unionist Party

5Melanie Tuesday Fox

Labour Party

ShowHide

No published position found yet.

Democracy Club profile Party site

In their own words

No statement to voters supplied to Democracy Club.

Stood before

No previous candidacy on Democracy Club's record. Every candidate has this section.

Record in office

Open Melanie's page →

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the ten topics

Are you this candidate, or their agent? If something here is wrong, email us and we will check it against the source.
Look yourself: the council's election notices · the party's site · leaflets archived for this area (electionleaflets.org, a Democracy Club project).

5Melanie Tuesday Fox

Labour Party

6Eden Webley

Restore Britain

ShowHide

No published position found yet.

Democracy Club profile Party site

In their own words

No statement to voters supplied to Democracy Club.

Stood before

UK Parliament, Wansbeck, December 2019 (Reform UK) — not elected

Previous candidacies from Democracy Club. A record of standing, not a judgement.

Record in office

Open Eden's page →

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the ten topics

Are you this candidate, or their agent? If something here is wrong, email us and we will check it against the source.
Look yourself: the council's election notices · the party's site · leaflets archived for this area (electionleaflets.org, a Democracy Club project).

6Eden Webley

Restore Britain

Photos appear only on each candidate's own page, so every candidate looks the same in this list. How much sourced material we found per party · Why isn't my party standing here?

Print my notes · Share or embed this page

Go deeper: independent sources

None of these is affiliated with a party. Where a source campaigns for a position, the label says so. Links open the original site.

Cross-cutting: polling, fact-checking, parliamentary research

Commons Library: constituency data dashboards — House of Commons Library. Parliamentary research service, impartial by statute.
electionleaflets.org: archive of election leaflets, searchable by area — Democracy Club. Civic-technology archive; leaflets are the parties' own material.
Electoral Commission: political finance register (donations, loans, spending) — Electoral Commission. Official register.
Full Fact — Full Fact. Independent fact-checking charity.
House of Commons Library research briefings — House of Commons Library. Parliamentary research service, impartial by statute.
Institute for Government — Institute for Government. Independent think tank on how government works.
Ipsos Issues Index: what the public says matters most — Ipsos. Polling company (monthly, unprompted survey).
LG Inform: council performance and finance data — Local Government Association. Sector body for councils.
Local Elections Archive Project: every council result since 2002 — Andrew Teale. Independent archive from Returning Officers' data, CC BY-SA.
mySociety Local Intelligence Hub: data by constituency — mySociety. Civic-technology charity; non-partisan.
UK Parliament: Commons votes (every division, how each MP voted) — UK Parliament. Official record, Open Parliament Licence.
UK Parliament: petitions, with signatures by constituency — UK Parliament. Official record.

Sources used on this page

Statement to voters: Calvin Clark — Calvin Clark (candidate), via Democracy Club, undated. Retrieved 19 September 2026. 2 quotations.
Statement to voters: Kerry Davison — Kerry Davison (candidate), via Democracy Club, undated. Retrieved 25 September 2026. 2 quotations.

Candidate lists and nominations: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0). Tax and benefit figures: PolicyEngine UK, open source.

Cite this page

Harvard style. Every figure on the page also names its original source, which is usually the better thing to cite.

Northumberland County: Hirst ward

The 6 on your paper in the order you’ll see them

John Victor Allen

Calvin Clark

Kerry Davison

David Ferguson

Melanie Tuesday Fox

Eden Webley

Your local councillor

What this office decides

What it does not

Everyone on one page

1John Victor Allen

In their own words

Stood before

Record in office

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the ten topics

1John Victor Allen

2Calvin Clark

In their own words

Stood before

Record in office

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the ten topics

Money and cost of living

Housing and property

Healthcare and social care

Education and universities

Environment, climate and energy

Transport and roads

Immigration and borders

Crime, policing and justice

Defence, foreign affairs and the EU

Equality and rights

2Calvin Clark

3Kerry Davison

In their own words

Stood before

Record in office

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the ten topics

Money and cost of living

Housing and property

Healthcare and social care

Education and universities

Environment, climate and energy

Transport and roads

Immigration and borders

Crime, policing and justice

Defence, foreign affairs and the EU

Equality and rights

3Kerry Davison

4David Ferguson

In their own words

Stood before

Record in office

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the ten topics

4David Ferguson

5Melanie Tuesday Fox

In their own words

Stood before

Record in office

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the ten topics

5Melanie Tuesday Fox

6Eden Webley

In their own words

Stood before

Record in office

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the ten topics

6Eden Webley

Go deeper: independent sources

Sources used on this page

1John Victor Allen

In their own words

Stood before

Record in office