Gun row councillor 'should seek new vote'
SuppliedThe Labour Party said a councillor suspended over a picture of signs on which he is holding a replica firearm should face a by-election after defecting to the Greens.
Tynemouth councillor Tom Bailey, who has been vocal about the River Tyne nurdle spill, announced he was joining the Greens on Monday after being suspended by Labour in August.
A Labour spokesperson said Bailey "was elected a Labour councillor and should have the courage of his convictions and call a by-election".
Bailey said he had been up for election in May and "Labour know full well that running an election and then rerunning with exactly the same candidates six months later isn't in the public interest" due to the cost.
The Labour Party declined to say if all councillors switching parties should face re-election.
The picture which prompted Bailey's suspension showed some signs that were ultimately not used, which had an image of him with a replica gun alongside the words: "Love this beach? Do not tread the nurdles into the high tide line."
The image was shared in a WhatsApp group for volunteers cleaning-up plastic nurdles released in a crash at the Port of Tyne.
A council standards complaint and an internal party investigation followed, while Northumbria Police also looked into the matter and found no offences had occurred.
Bailey quit Labour last month and told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he joined the Greens "because our coast deserves better".
The other Greens on the council, Helen Bell and Martin Osborne, said in a joint statement: "Tom has consistently demonstrated a deep commitment to standing up for local residents and protecting our coastal environment, particularly over the recent nurdle spill.
"We're looking forward to working together to solve problems and get things done."
Clarification 13 October 2026: This article has been updated with more detail regarding the image over which Bailey was suspended and with his response to the call for a by-election.
