Labour lost several seats in Newcastle on local election day, but remains the dominant political force in the city.

Council leader Nick Kemp saw his party suffer four noteworthy defeats at the ballot box on Thursday, though Labour did gain one seat in the outer west and maintained its large majority.

Newcastle’s Liberal Democrat opposition were buoyant after claiming two scalps, unseating a Labour cabinet member in West Fenham and taking a dominant victory in the swing ward of North Jesmond.

The Newcastle Independents party enjoyed success in the ward of Lemington and in Denton and Westerhope, but dropped one seat to Labour in Callerton and Throckley.

Conservative hopes of winning an election in the city for the first time since 1992 were dashed once again, as Doc Anand fell short of the Lib Dems in Gosforth, while the Greens’ wait for a first seat on the council also went on.

A “mixed bag” of a night for Coun Kemp comes ahead of a leadership challenge he faces next week, with Kenton councillor Ged Bell vying to topple the leader just 12 months into his reign at the civic centre.

Much focus going into polling day in Newcastle had been on North Jesmond, which has previously produced tight battles between Labour and the Lib Dems.

Controversy over the divisive Low Traffic Neighbourhood recently installed by the council was expected to deal Labour a blow, and so it proved.

Lib Dem Philip Browne, who was 40 votes shy of victory in 2022, this time finished more than 700 votes ahead of the nearest Labour challenger – while Gerry Keating also retained his seat for the Lib Dems, in a ward where two posts were up for grabs this year.

West Fenham had been earmarked as another emerging battleground and PJ Morrissey claimed victory for the Lib Dems there, defeating Labour cabinet member Sylvia Copley to join his wife Christine on the council.

While those results came as little shock on the night, Labour sources had indicated in the early stages of counting at Northumbria University’s Sport Central that they were hopeful of holding their position in the outer west of the city.

But it was a case of one step forward and two steps back – Adam Walker winning back Callerton and Throckley, before the Newcastle Independents celebrated success in Denton and Westerhope and then Lemington too.

Coun Kemp, who retained his own seat in Byker despite a Green surge, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service afterwards that Labour “needs to earn the trust of people in the outer west”.

He added: “I think it has been a mixed bag, really. Candidates have won and done exceptionally well and I am very proud of them.

“I am exceptionally sad for candidates, and sitting councillors in particular, who we have lost – I am really sad for those really hard-working, dedicated servants to the city.

“Winning in Callerton in the outer west with a huge majority is fantastic. We said we would not be city centric and we are not.

“But we are a party that has to sit and listen to the results. We are listening clearly, the electorate has spoken. We will take note and reflect and provide the services that the city needs.”

Lib Dem opposition leader Colin Ferguson was “over the moon” with his party’s performance, having won two seats and once again held off a vocal Tory challenge in Gosforth. 

He said: “We were confident coming into tonight and I think what we have seen is a rejection of Labour’s ‘we know best’ attitude and also no enthusiasm for the Tory Party prospectus. To see comfortable wins in our defences and a couple of gains, including in places where I don’t think Labour would have expected us to do as well as we did, shows we are a fighting force in the city.”

Tracey Mitchell, who is the new leader of the Newcastle Independents, said voters in the outer west wards they focus on thought Labour “just haven’t listened”.

She vowed that her councillors would work to combat anti-social behaviour in the area and improve its cleanliness to give residents “a place that looks nice for them when they step out of their front door”.

While still without a seat on the council, the Green Party took heart from claiming almost 10% of the overall vote.

Byker candidate Nick Hartley, who took a 38% share in the council leader’s ward, said that “more and more people are getting to know us and are liking what they have seen”.

The balance of Newcastle City Council’s 78 seats is now: Labour 48 (-3), Lib Dem 23 (+2), Newcastle Independents 4 (+1), Independent 3 (—). The turnout was 34.5%.