Newcastle Borough: Party veterans are sent packing as UKIP celebrates a day of success

SOME of Labour's longest serving stalwarts were among the casualties as the party faced electoral extinction in Newcastle.

Labour lost all seven of its county council seats in the borough, including those of former council leader John Taylor and senior councillors Eddie Boden, David Leech and Mick Clarke.

The UK Independence Party was the biggest winner in Newcastle, claiming three seats, with the Conservatives and Lib Dems also gaining councillors.

Derrick Huckfield, who claimed the Bradwell and Porthill seat for Ukip, said the MPs' expenses scandal had left many voters disillusioned.

He said: "People feel let down by all three main parties, so where else can they go? In this election they have chosen to go with Ukip.

"Now I hope all the county councillors who have been elected can work together to make Staffordshire a better place."

Ukip candidate David Nixon defeated Mr Leech in Cross Heath.

He said: "The national issues have had a tremendous impact, but clearly we have campaigned on local issues.

"We have also tried to let the local electorate know what is going on with Newcastle Borough Council, which has been to our benefit."

Stephen Sweeney's victory in Newcastle South was one of two Tory gains in Newcastle. The other saw John Cooper defeat sitting Labour councillor Mr Clarke in Wolstanton.

Mr Sweeney put his party's success in the county down to people being sick of Labour.

He said: "We've had 28 years of Labour rule, and the tide is now turning."

Conservative councillors Simon Tagg and Frank Chapman defended their seats, in Keele and Westlands and Newcastle Rural respectively.

The last two seats declared in the county were in the Kidsgrove and Talke division, where Mr Taylor and his Labour colleague Margaret Astle were ousted by the Lib Dem's Mary Maxfield and Ukip's Geoff Locke.

Mrs Maxfield, who is also a cabinet member on the borough council, said: "I would have been gutted if I had lost considering all the hard work I put in."

Mr Taylor said: "I don't mind losing an election if we're being judged for something we've done, but that's not what has happened."

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STAFFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL ELECTION RESULTS