Former Labour mayor forecasts 'progressive' gain

FORMER mayor Jamie Driscoll will stand for election in Newcastle next year and believes a "progressive alliance" can become a major political force in the city.

- DANIEL HOLLAND

Mr Driscoll, who served as the elected North of Tyne mayor from 2019 to 2024, has confirmed he will be seeking a return to his former Monument ward seat on Newcastle City Council in 2026.

Originally elected for Labour, Mr Driscoll later quit the party and then finished as runner-up as an independent in the 2024 North East mayoral election which was won by Kim McGuinness.

He has since launched Majority, a progressive campaign group and registered political party that he says now has almost 1,000 paying members.

Majority endorsed Green Party candidate Sarah Peters ahead of last week's by-election in South Jesmond, which she won ahead of the Lib Dems as Labour's vote in the ward collapsed.

Mr Driscoll is now eyeing next May's city council elections, at which all 78 of the local authority's seats will be up for grabs, as a major opportunity and believes that an alliance of Majority candidates, Greens, and independents could even take control of the council.