Reform UK Low Fell Ward

09/10/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18BKVDvX8M/

THE GATESHEAD GRAFFITI MURALS 🎨

We've seen a lot of discussion from residents about the new 'official graffiti 'murals being installed in Gateshead and wanted to set out our position clearly.

The murals are being funded through the £1.5 million Pride in Place Impact Fund, with £300,000 allocated to public art projects across the borough by the previous Labour administration.

We fully respect the artists involved and recognise that opinions on art are subjective. Our concern is not with the artwork itself, but with the decision to spend £300,000 of public money on mural projects when many residents continue to raise concerns about issues such as graffiti, anti-social behaviour, neglected public spaces, litter, fly-tipping and deteriorating local infrastructure.

The funding did not specifically require £300,000 to be spent on public art. In our view, a significant proportion of this money could have been directed towards projects that deliver more practical and lasting benefits for communities across Gateshead.

We also recognise the frustration felt by many residents who regularly report unwanted graffiti and vandalism, often waiting long periods for it to be removed. Against that backdrop, some people understandably question whether funding large-scale graffiti-style artwork sends the right message.

To be clear, this is not a criticism of the artists. It is about political priorities and how public money is allocated.

The decision to fund these projects was approved by the previous Labour administration, not the current Reform UK administration. We simply believe residents have a right to know how these decisions were made and to judge for themselves whether this represented the best use of £300,000 of public funds.

As always, we welcome your views. 👇

01/10/2026

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=122137129467345780&id=61590373417087

RACISM HAS NO PLACE IN GATESHEAD!

Back in May, we announced that we would govern Gateshead borough without regard to race, s*x, gender, physical capabilities, s*xual orientation or any other personal characteristic.

Our heartfelt conviction is that ALL our residents deserve to be treated equally and with decency and respect.

We also said that we won’t support or promote groups which are socio-political. That means campaigning/pressure groups organised around shared political, social or ideological goals. These groups exist to influence policy and often ally themselves with political parties and other movements.

One disadvantage of such groups is that, by their nature, they highlight DIFFERENCES between our residents rather that portray everyone as being UNIFIED. This is against our philosophy of treating everyone as equals.

We’ve been approached by an organisation called Show Racism The Red Card. They’ve asked that we light up the Millenium Bridge in the colour red on 16th October, to support them. We won’t be doing this. Why?

Show Racism the Red Card’s activities are socio-political and therefore support for them would be outside our policy of treating all residents as equals. Be assured, however, that we’re committed to equality across race, as the composition of our own councillor team demonstrates.

Show Racism the Red Card is an overtly party-political group. The activities of their Chief Executive began in groups backed by the extreme left-wing group, Militant. His posts on ‘X’ are openly critical of Reform UK, calling us a “very, very dangerous organisation”. And yet, he now seeks our support. He is closely associated with the Labour Party and claims that racists are emboldening us. He has also stated that people need to mobilise against Reform UK. He continues to stand by these comments.

So, by his actions, the Chief Executive of Show Racism the Red Card has already alienated 2 of the region’s major councils because of his partisanship.

For our part, though, we will continue our policy of equality of opportunity and treatment for ALL our residents, irrespective of race or any other personal characteristic.

30/09/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1GMasxh467/

HOW DESPERATE IS THIS?

You might have heard the deafening silence at Andy Burnham's speech at the Labour Party Conference this week, when the man holding the 'Clap Now' board fell asleep.

Now, this email from Labour to their supporters has come into our possession.

It says:

"Please ensure you actively promote and praise Andy Burnham's speech across X.

This speech MUST BE DESCRIBED as:

"Truly exceptional, visionary, inspiring, invigorating, beautiful, powerful, courageous, statesmanlike, refreshing, heartfelt, authentic, unifying, intelligent, thought-provoking, necessary, timely, historic, transformative and a blueprint for the future"

Please like, share, repost and respond positively. Challenge and REPORT ANY CRITICISM".

So, a mixture of desperation, dictatorship and something a little more sinister!

Clealry, Labour has the mindset of a hive. Individuality is gone and a common belief is being enforced on their members.

Now, this is the kind of mind numbing, sycophantic and tribal rubbish that the Gateshead Liberals and Greens have also signed up to, in establishing their alliance with Gateshead Labour. Is this Libagreen Party really what their voters signed up for?

25/09/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1HnYCi3wui/?mibextid=wwXIfr

23/09/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/1Bn2MgB6re/?mibextid=wwXIfr

*GATESHEAD COUNCILLORS’ ALLOWANCES*

Announcement by the Reform Group

ALLOWANCES PAID TO GATESHEAD COUNCILLORS

Since 2016, Gateshead councillors have had the privilege of having their allowances increased every year.

Any pay increase for council staff, negotiated by trades unions on their behalf, has automatically been applied to councillors’ ‘pay’ too.

This method was introduced by the previous Labour group which controlled the council for 53 years. The result is that our councillors now benefit from the most generous levels of allowances anywhere in the region (38% more on average).

The new Reform administration does not agree with index linking councillor remuneration to staff pay. In fact, the previous Labour administration acted unlawfully by persistently following this process. The proper, established method of reviewing councillor allowances was and is via an independent remuneration committee. Labour chose not to follow this and the committee has not sat for 11 years! Indeed, in their last report in 2015/2016, the committee advised that another review must be carried out in 2017/2018. It didn’t happen and some current members of the Gateshead Labour group were part of the team which oversaw this method, until they lost office in May this year.

We’re pleased to advise that a new remuneration committee will be convened soon.

In the meanwhile, the majority of Gateshead Reform councillors have already written to the payroll department of the council, advising that they have voluntarily turned down the latest rise of 3.3% which was awarded to all councillors this month. They will NOT be taking the increase.

At a time when our residents are facing pressures from the increased costs of living and hugely increased taxation by this government, we feel that it is morally bankrupt to accept such a benefit.

We cannot speak for the other parties but would like to think that they will follow our example.

ENDS

Nick Allan
Leader of the Reform UK Group – Gateshead Council.
23/09/2026

19/09/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/1EjoqPhY5D/?mibextid=wwXIfr

On the 25th birthday of the iconic structure, Councillor Nick Allan described the bridge as the 'beating heart' of Gateshead 🫶

17/09/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/1EKoQtHZL1/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Obsession - where a person's mind is completely filled with a persistent, unwanted, or overpowering idea, feeling, or desire that they cannot stop thinking about.

And so, colleagues, we have an insight into the minds of Gateshead Labour leader, John Adams and his rag tag pack of pretenders such as Reform UK Watch, Hope Not Hate and sundry other hungry vulture groups.

Have a look at their pages. What do you see? Post after post after post of how evil Reform is and what terrible people our supporters and councillors are.

What don’t you see? No constructive policies or alternative ideas. No principles. No record to be proud of. No strategy. No direction. No clues!

There’s an old saying, ‘if you can’t play the game, then play the man’. And that’s all they can do. They have nothing to offer the residents of Gateshead and nothing to be proud about in their 53 year record. Clueless and adrift, they obsess about how they can drag Reform down to their level. In fact we’re living rent free in their heads.

The more they try to deflect attention from their past overwhelming defeat and disastrous record, the more people see their empty rhetoric and irrelevance.

They are the past and long may they remain there!

17/09/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BwR2GTrsr/?mibextid=wwXIfr

15/09/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/1Jnvgt3UcR/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Back in 2013, the Local Council Tax Support Scheme was introduced to replace the old Council Tax Benefit. Each year, by law, the Council must review and approve this scheme by 11th March — it's this routine, required process that Labour’s Cllr. John Adams has unfortunately mischaracterised as a council tax "hike."

It's worth being clear from the start: this scheme is for working-age adults only. Pensioners continue to receive up to 100% support towards their Council Tax, depending on income. The Council also has a duty to think carefully about how any changes might affect low-income families, and we take that responsibility seriously.

Right now, working-age residents can receive support covering up to 91.5% of their council tax bill. It's a means-tested scheme that costs the Council over £15m a year, with a further £10.8m spent supporting pensioners — around £25m in total.

The proposals now in front of Councillors include an 8-week public consultation starting 23rd September, giving residents a proper chance to have their say. Any changes need to balance the cost to the Council with what's fair and affordable for residents, while keeping things simple to administer.

One option being considered is a small 1.5% reduction in support — meaning eligible residents would still receive 90% towards their bill, which remains a very substantial level of help.

Cllr. Adams has suggested this would hit the poorest residents hard. However, it’s worth looking at what this would actually mean in practice:

For Band A homes, the change would come to 39 pence a week for a single person, and 47 pence a week for an adult sharing a home with another adult and a dependent child. In other words, it would be those with broader shoulders who would contribute a little more. There's also a £25,000 discretionary fund built in to help our most vulnerable residents in exceptional circumstances.

Together, this modest change would save the Council around £200,000 a year — a meaningful sum, not a small one.

We'll be giving this proposal careful, considered thought at Cabinet this month. In the meanwhile, it’s wrong for a senior Labour councillor to whip up public fear by misrepresenting the facts, let alone by leaking this to the press and posting it on social media.