Throston By-Election...Just Three Candidates set to Battle it Out on May 1st...
- teessidetoday
- Apr 3
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 6
Three main party frontrunners set to battle it out to replace Labour Councillor Cameron Sharp, who stood down from Hartlepool Borough Council last month.....
3rd April 2025
Edited 3rd April 2025 14:22pm
Hartlepool is gearing up for a political showdown that’s set to capture the attention of both local's and pundits alike.
Next month, the Throston Ward by-election will see just three candidates vying to replace Labour’s Cameron Sharp, who stepped down from his councillor role last month. In a ward that’s long been a Labour stronghold, the stakes are high—and the competition fiercer than ever. With Reform UK’s Amanda Napper and the Conservatives’ Veronica Nicholson stepping into the ring alongside Labour’s Lyndsey Allen, this race could signal a seismic shift in Hartlepool's political landscape.
Buckle up, because—this one’s going to be a thriller, even though turnout might leave us all yawning!
Labour Now Faces a Test in Hartlepool
Hartlepool's Throston Ward has historically been painted red, with Labour enjoying a firm grip on the council ward. But its claimed times are now changing, and the upcoming by-election on May 1, 2025—coinciding with the wider local council elections—promises to challenge that dominance.
Cameron Sharp’s departure opened the door to a contest that’s less about filling the vacancy, but more about testing Labour’s resilience in a town that’s seen its fair share of political twists in recent years.
When Sharp was elected in a 2022 by-election, turnout was a dismal 14.6%—a stark reminder that even in a Labour-leaning ward, voter apathy can reign supreme. Last summer, Labour’s Jonathan Brash pulled off a dramatic rescue mission, reclaiming the Hartlepool parliamentary seat from the Conservatives in the 2024 General Election. It was a win hailed as a return of the “Red Wall” to its roots—but some claim it was a fluke, with many starting to wonder Labours victory was more of a protest vote against the Tories rather than a ringing endorsement of the Labour Party itself. The Throston by-election might just give us the answer, though don’t expect a crowd at the polls if history repeats itself.
Reform UK’s Rising Star: Amanda Napper
Enter Amanda Napper, Reform UK’s candidate and a name that’s already familiar to Hartlepool voters. Napper made waves in the 2024 General Election, finishing a strong second to Jonathan Brash in the parliamentary election race. Her performance turned heads, proving that Reform UK—once dismissed as a fringe player—has real traction in this corner of the North East...
Now, she’s back, and she’s got her sights set firmly on a historic prize: Reform UK’s first-ever council seat in Hartlepool. With the party tipped to pick up seats across the country as well as nearby Durham County Council in the May 2025 local elections, all eyes are said to be on Throston to see if Napper can now deliver a knockout blow to Labour’s dominance. Her campaign is likely to lean on the same anti-establishment energy that propelled Reform UK into the spotlight last year, tapping into local frustrations over everything from council services to national politics.
With Labours promises such as not touching pensioner winter fuel payments & welfare now broken, Could this be the moment Reform UK breaks through in Hartlepool?
The possibility alone certainly has political watchers buzzing—even if the turnout might barely nudge past the low bar set by Sharp’s 14.6% win, she's quietly tipped to win the council seat, albeit with a small majority...
The Conservative Contender: Veronica Nicholson
Not to be overlooked, the Conservatives are fielding Veronica Nicholson, a seasoned local campaigner who’s no stranger to the ballot box.
Nicholson has previously stood as a ward for Hartlepool's De-Bruce Ward, bringing experience and name recognition to the table.
Whilst the Tories lost the Hartlepool parliamentary seat to Labour in 2024, they’ve got a track record of resilience in local elections—think back to their coalition with independents that kept them in power on Hartlepool Borough Council until Labour’s big gains last year. Nicholson will be hoping to rally disillusioned Conservative voters and capitalise on any cracks in Labour’s armour. But with Reform UK splitting the right-leaning vote, her path to victory looks trickier than ever.
Can she pull off an upset in a ward that’s rarely turned blue? It’s a long shot, but in Hartlepool, surprises are never off the table—even if the electorate might be too apathetic to show up in droves.
Lyndsey Allen : Labours Candidate
Labour bosses are more than likely to be quietly reserved to the fact that fielding any Labour Candidate in Hartlepool in the current national climate is going to be a huge struggle, especially for a candidate who's likely to see considerable resentment at the door should she come knocking, especially over Labours controversial policies of cuts to welfare spending & winter fuel payments to pensioners which many locals in Hartlepool considered to be 'cruel'.
There's concerns that this could translate to disgruntled voters putting a cross on the ballot paper to anyone so long as it hasn't got Labour written all over it, leading to claims that both Lyndsey Allen & Reforms Amanda Napper are likely to be the two battling it out to gain the vital council ward seat, with Conservatives Veronica Nicholson left carrying the mop & bucket to 'dab up' what's left.
No Independent Candidate wanted to stand...
The absence of any Independent Candidate also makes this by-election ever more interesting in the sense that it seems Hartlepool's previous 'love' of Independent Candidates has soured in recent years, primarily due to the fact that it was clear, that many of those so called 'independent candidates' weren't quite as 'independent' as they seemed...
What also makes the upcoming Throston by-election so gripping is that its not just the candidates—it’s what they represent. Hartlepool's been a bellwether for the so-called Red Wall’s fortunes, swinging from Labour to the Conservatives in the 2021 parliamentary by-election, then back to Labour in 2024. Each shift has reflected broader currents: frustration with the status quo, a hunger for change, and a willingness to punish the party that's in power. Now, with Reform UK nipping at Labour’s heels and the Conservatives fighting to stay relevant, this by-election feels like a microcosm of a nation in flux. Will Lyndsey Allen hold firm for Labour, proving their 2024 parliamentary win was no fluke, despite the backlash over welfare and pension cuts? Will Amanda Napper ride Reform UK’s growing wave to a breakthrough victory, capitalising on disgruntled voters eager to punish Labour? Or will Veronica Nicholson defy the odds and reclaim some lost ground for the Tories?
The outcome could send ripples far beyond The Throston Ward, hinting at what’s to come in the national political arena—though a repeat of that measly 14.6% turnout could dampen the drama.
