Nick Forbes: Newcastle Council Labour leader survives challenge

Labour leader of Newcastle City Council Nick Forbes has held the role for 10 years

Newcastle City Council's Labour leader has survived a bid to replace him.

Nick Forbes, who has has been the authority's elected leader for 10 years, learned of the leadership challenge on election night, 7 May.

However, rival Byker Councillor Nick Kemp failed in his bid to take over at the Labour group's AGM on Monday.

Mr Forbes was re-elected with 30 votes to 22 and will serve for at least another year, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

He has been leader of the Labour group since 2007 and of the council since 2011, when Labour took power from the Liberal Democrats.

The Arthur's Hill ward councillor is also one of the Labour Party's most senior local government voices, leading the party's group on the Local Government Association and sitting in Keir Starmer's shadow cabinet.

Nick Kemp was previously a member of Mr Forbes' cabinet

Mr Kemp was previously a member of Mr Forbes' cabinet, with responsibility for issues such as trading standards and bin collections in his role as cabinet member for environmental and regulatory services.

However, he quit the cabinet last summer in a row in which he claimed he was being undermined by "constant sniping" and "personal animosities".

But while Mr Forbes has kept hold of his position, there will be a significant shake-up of the city's Labour leadership.

West Fenham councillor Karen Kilgour defeated Mr Forbes' long-serving deputy Joyce McCarty in the deputy leadership race at the Labour group's AGM by 28 votes to 24.